


Meet Me at the Sunrise

by bleuhouse



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Friends With Benefits, Idol!AU, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2019-09-23 20:33:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17087264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleuhouse/pseuds/bleuhouse
Summary: What started out with an appointment, turned into love somewhere in between.





	1. Chapter 1

“Hmm leaving already?” teases Baekhyun.  


Chanyeol has just finished putting on the last half of his clothes, as he stares down at Baekhyun’s nude form on the bed. As he adjusts his collar to just the right fold, he gives Baekhyun a knowing smirk.  


“Really? You’re asking me that?” he questions. “You’d think after the first three times you kicked me out, it’d sink in by now.”  


A low chuckle reverberates throughout the small room, and it makes Chanyeol weak in the knees. It takes all of his willpower to pick up his bag and make his way to the door. He takes one last look behind him to find that Baekhyun has already fallen asleep.  


“Sweet dreams” he whispers under his breath.  


As Chanyeol steps out into the sticky weather of Seoul, a feeling all too familiar washes over him. It had been like this for the past six months now. Their arrangement had been planned out to the dot. On Wednesdays, he would come over to Baekhyun’s fancy apartment in Cheongdam, fuck his brains out, then leave like it never happened.  


He remembers asking a month into their arrangement why he wasn’t able to stay the night, but all he got in return from Baekhyun was a small peck on the lips and a soft “it’s complicated.”  


From that point on, Chanyeol stopped asking and he’s been following Baekhyun’s lead ever since. He calls the shots no matter how much Chanyeol hates it.  


He smirks, not believing the mess he’s gotten himself into.  


\--  


“What are you doing here?” Chanyeol asks in shock.  


It’s a busy day in Gangnam, with it being a weekend and people are out and about enjoying their day off.  


“What does it look like? I’m here to get my hair done.”  


“But you only come in on Wednesdays. It’s Saturday.”  


Chanyeol senses the irritation surfacing on Baekhyun’s face, so without prodding any further, he grabs the plastic cape and drapes it around Baekhyun. Though it was odd for him to be here at this time, Chanyeol made the best of it, and quickly fell into his usual Wednesday routine.  


After almost an hour, he was finally finished with Baekhyun’s hair. The golden color hair shone under the bright studio lights as he ruffled it to check it out in the mirror. With a satisfied smile on his face, Chanyeol fiddles with the buttons of the cape and removes it in one swift motion.  


“When do you end?” Baekhyun asks ruffling his hair.  


“I don’t end for a while.” Chanyeol lies.  


In fact, his lie is so bad that Baekhyun quirks an eyebrow in confusion. It’s already evening and the salon closes in less than an hour. Hoping Baekhyun wouldn’t say anything further, c\Chanyeol busies himself by toying with the brushes at his station. He knows why Baekhyun asked that question. He wants sex, apart from their usual meeting time, to blow off some steam and Chanyeol really isn’t in the mood today.  


“How long is awhile?”  


“I’m not sure, but I’ll make sure to give you a call when I’m done here” comes his curt reply.  


He could feel Baekhyun’s eyes staring at him through the mirror, and he tries his best to look occupied and not be obvious. Finally, Baekhyun brakes his intense gaze and instead, turns in his chair to look directly at Chanyeol.  


“Hey, are you ok?”  


Funny he should ask that. He’s only asking because he just got denied sex. Subtle.  


“I’m fine. Just tired and busy.”  


Giving up, Baekhyun slumps back into the chair and pulls out his phone to make a call to his manager.  


Deep down, Chanyeol knows what he is to Baekhyun -- he realized that when Baekhyun kept referring to him as a dear friend. Though Chanyeol had hated it, he kept going back because he, too, needed to blow off some steam to fill some kind of endless void. A void that he knew only Baekhyun could fill because that void was him. Every time they had sex, Chanyeol wished it would be the day Baekhyun would keep him close under the covers. Except, that day has yet to come, and slowly, Chanyeol is starting to believe it never will.  


“Hey, I gotta go” Baekhyun says. “But call me when you end, yeah?”  


Chanyeol gives him a simple nod and goes back to sweeping up imaginary hair on the other side of the room. Once he knows Baekhyun is no longer in the room, Chanyeol quickly tosses aside the broom and makes his way back to his station. He figures he should clean up a little bit, then decide if he should call Baekhyun or not.  


After cleaning his station down until it sparkled, Chanyeol checks his phone to see the time. To his utter shock, it had only been an hour since he started, and an hour since Baekhyun had left.  


What was he supposed to do now? Call Baekhyun and say he ended?  


Wait, he’s going over to Baekhyun’s place?  


Too many questions flood Chanyeol’s brain. He feels bad for how he handled things with Baekhyun earlier, and he doesn’t want Baekhyun to think that he doesn’t enjoy his company because he does, he really does.  


Ten minutes later, Chanyeol finds himself in the heart of Gangnam hailing a cab to take him to Cheongdam.  


Five minutes into the ride, Chanyeol knows he’s a weak man.  


\--  


He should have known that the minute he knocks on Baekhyun’s door, it’s going to be a shit show. Right as the door swings open, Chanyeol is being dragged in by his wrist followed by a hard smash of lips to his neck. Baekhyun is all over him and a part of Chanyeol feels the same. He quickly detaches Baekhyun’s lips from his neck and grabs his face to meet their lips. Their mouths are desperate for each other as their tongues dance in a passionate tango.  


“Bed” Chanyeol croaks out in between kisses. Baekhyun gives a whimper of agreement while never breaking contact with their lips. Chanyeol yanks on Baekhyun’s thighs, signaling him to wrap his legs around his waist. Wasting no time, he hooks his hands behind Chanyeol’s neck and jumps on in one swift motion.  


Now, all Chanyeol has to do is try his best to guide the both of them to the bedroom without falling over and getting down and dirty in the living room. It wouldn’t be the first time that that happened, but nothing beats the feeling of a soft mattress while being fucked. But Baekhyun isn’t helping their situation as he litters Chanyeol’s neck with open mouthed kisses -- a harsh suck along his jawline almost knocking Chanyeol’s knees to the floor.  


Finally, Chanyeol’s hard work pays off when both of them land on Baekhyun’s expensive queen sized bed -- the soft silky sheets rubbing oh so gently against their exposed skin. Neither of them initiate anything more, just enjoying the feeling of their lips mingling together -- Chanyeol giving a groan of approval when Baekhyun sucks particularly hard on his lower lip. As their labored breathing turns into low moans and desperate whimpers, Chanyeol knows it’s time to get things started. He slides his hands under the hem of Baekhyun’s shirt and finds purchase on the dip of his lower back. Baekhyun breaks their heated kiss to discard of his flimsy shirt. With the shirt long forgotten, Baekhyun grabs for Chanyeol’s neck once more to bring him down for another kiss. Chanyeol always loved this part of their arrangement. He reveled in Baekhyun’s desperation for him, which in turn, fueled his own arousal. He loved how he could roam the expanse of Baekhyun’s skin -- the Byun Baekhyun’s skin -- without any interruptions.  


In the past six months they’ve been doing this, Chanyeol learned all the right places to caress and stroke to make Baekhyun keen with want -- a slide over his lower back and a swipe of his right nipple is all it takes for Baekhyun to lift his hips and find contact with Chanyeol’s. Smirking into their heated kiss, Chanyeol is determined to check all the right points to get Baekhyun to scream. Another thing Chanyeol learned in the past six months was that Baekhyun liked to be kissed, everywhere.  


He abandons Baekhyun’s lips to litter feather light kisses along the juncture of his neck and lick into the swell of his collarbones. Chanyeol loves the pink contrast of Baekhyun’s skin against his sheets, followed by soft moans of pleasure. He descends further to kiss along Baekhyun’s sternum, purposely going passed his nipples to flutter open mouthed kisses along his belly. He stops just above Baekhyun’s naval -- mouth open and breathing hard.  


“Chanyeol” Baekhyun pants out.  


He presses his nose against the plush skin of Baekhyun’s waist, and delights in the smooth expanse of skin to bask in the scent that is uniquely Baekhyun’s. Heat boils in the pit of Chanyeol’s stomach, and by the sound of heavy breathing above, Baekhyun is no different.  


“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun pants out again -- this time slightly more assertive. “Please”  


He knows this tone. He’s heard it enough times in the past six months to know that this is the tone Baekhyun gives when he wants it fast and rough. When he involuntarily pants out Chanyeol’s name, it’s a silent plea for him to “get it over with” and be on his way.  


He quickly has Baekhyun’s sweats tossed onto the floor along with his intrusive boxers. Baekhyun is now fully naked -- lying and waiting for Chanyeol to make a move. Overwhelmed by his intense stare, Chanyeol hastily places himself between Baekhyun’s legs, and gives him a hungry kiss on the lips. The slow moan that vibrates along Chanyeol’s parted lips sends a reminder that he needs to make this fast and be on his way because that’s what Baekhyun wants. And what Baekhyun wants, he gets.  


A few more heated kisses later, Chanyeol finds himself canting his hips. He’s chasing friction he knows will end soon, but decides to enjoy the pleasure while he can.  


“Chanyeol. Come on.” Baekhyun growls into his ear.  


He reaches over his head to remove his shirt, and clutches his jeans to undo them as fast as he can. Soon, they’re both naked and too excited to take things slow. It’s a mess of hands and tongues as Chanyeol tries his best to move things along. Baekhyun is now on top, making his way down to press a hard kiss underneath Chanyeol’s jaw that, without a doubt, will leave a mark come tomorrow morning.  


That was another unsaid rule between them. No marks. For Baekhyun, it was out of courtesy. For Chanyeol, it was for the sake of a career. There have been many instances in which both of them got too carried away and toed the line between leaving a discrete mark and pulling away to be safe. For a split second, Chanyeol wonders how he’ll explain the mark at work tomorrow, but the incessant heat curling within his stomach pulls him out of his own thoughts and into the present moment.  


He lulls his head back onto pillows as Baekhyun goes further and further south until he takes Chanyeol all in one go. The warmth surrounding his cock sends waves of pleasure that leaves Chanyeol arching his back. He threads his fingers through Baekhyun’s freshly dyed hair and pushes down to get more of his mouth. A devilish grin creeps up onto Baekhyun’s face, and he hollows his cheeks and relaxes his throat to sink his mouth further down until he can feel Chanyeol in the back of his throat. Trembling fingers now pull at the root of Baekhyun’s hair and he marvels at the pleasant sting that accompanies it.  


“Baekhyun” Chanyeol whimpers. “Don’t. I want- i-inside”  


Baekhyun pulls away with a pop, and looks down at the mess that is Park Chanyeol. His hair is disheveled against the pillows and a thin sheen of sweat has begun to form on his brows. If Baekhyun wasn’t so turned on, he would have found Chanyeol utterly adorable. Unfortunately, he’s terribly turned on, and all he can think about is having Chanyeol plow into him while he screams his name.  


With Chanyeol now sitting up against the headboard, Baekhyun finds it an invitation to climbs into the taller’s lap. Sneaky hands snake their way around the smaller’s waist and down to the eighth wonder of the world -- Baekhyun’s ass. He remembers being obsessed with it the first couple of times they had sex, and it’s safe to say that he never stopped being obsessed with it. The way it’s perfect shape takes in all of him, and how beautiful it looks in the air while Baekhyun sucks his cock into oblivion. Just thinking about it sends a moan out of Chanyeol, and Baekhyun takes that as a sign to start rocking his hips. A mixture of moist air and sweat coat the both of them as Chanyeol throws his head back against the headboard while Baekhyun has a hand firmly grasping the back of Chanyeol’s neck and leaning his head against his shoulder as his hips pick up speed.  


This fine rhythm of friction isn’t enough for the both of them, but none of them have the power to break apart from the slow grind of Baekhyun’s hips.  


He stills Baekhyun’s rocking hips, and brings his hands up to wipe away the hair that stuck to his face in the haste. Baekhyun looks up with lust filled eyes, chest pumping so hard it’s a miracle Chanyeol didn’t stop to ask if everything is ok. With an audible gulp, Chanyeol leans over the bed to pull open the night stand. He hurriedly shuffles around inside until his hand comes into contact with a bottle of lube and a condom. Baekhyun quickly gets off of Chanyeol’s lap to lay back with his legs wide open, inviting Chanyeol in. Wasting no time, Chanyeol settles between his legs and pops the bottle of lube open. A loud gush sounds throughout the room, but it goes unnoticed as Chanyeol’s fingers expertly find their way to Baekhyun’s entrance. As he slides a finger in, Baekhyun arches his back in a silent moan, with his mouth wide open and his eyes closed in pleasure. The familiar warmth surrounds Chanyeol’s finger, which makes him slide in another to chase the heat of being inside Baekhyun.  


“One more Chanyeol” Baekhyun rasps. “One more and I should be good.”  
He slides in another finger, curling them inside every once in a while, which makes Baekhyun keen high. Chanyeol leans over and places a kiss to one of Baekhyun’s thighs, savoring the plump skin. His own cock is straining from the lack of attention, but it’s not everyday that he gets to witness Baekhyun getting hot and bothered just by fingers, so he decides to hold on for a little longer. “Fuck” he spits out at the sight before him.  


“Chanyeol. Now.”  


With a frantic nod, Chanyeol removes his fingers, and grabs for the condom that had been thrown to the side of the bed. He rips it open with such force, the rubber goes flying across the bed. Once Chanyeol finally has it in his hands, he wastes no time in rolling it over himself. He can’t wait for what’s to come, the adrenaline building up in his body. He grabs Baekhyun’s hips and slides him forward so their cocks are flush together -- a deep groan escaping Chanyeol’s lips at the intimate contact. Placing his hands on either side of Baekhyun’s head, Chanyeol lines himself up and slides in. Both of them let out breathy moans as Chanyeol gently tests out the waters by rocking his hips. It takes a moment for Baekhyun to get adjusted, but soon he gives Chanyeol the green light to move.  


With his hands gripping down on the sheets on either side of Baekhyun’s head, Chanyeol moves his hips back to pull out halfway, and roll back in just to be sure that Baekhyun’s ok. Spurred on by Baekhyun’s intense moans, Chanyeol moves to pull out until just the tip is in side, then slam back in. He’s set a pace now, which makes Baekhyun cry out and claw at his back. The stings are a stark contrast to the immense pleasure Chanyeol’s feeling deep in his stomach, but he can’t get himself to make Baekhyun stop. As Baekhyun’s heels dig into Chanyeol’s lower back, his thrusts are shallow and quick. It makes Baekhyun’s eyes roll to the back of his head as the intense spike of pleasure shoots up from his lower back to spread all throughout his body. His mouth is left gaping open at the intense feeling, which has Chanyeol diving down to shove his tongue inside.  


Chanyeol now leans on his elbows to decrease the distance while he continues to thrust into Baekhyun’s heat, loving the warmth it provides. It’s Baekhyun who pulls away from the kiss to let out a sharp cry against Chanyeol’s ear. This feeling is all too much for Chanyeol to handle without getting caught up in his feelings, but he much rather have meaningless sex with Baekhyun, then not have him at all.  


“Oh god,” Baekhyun cries out.  


It all happens in a flash when Baekhyun pushes at Chanyeol’s chest. He lifts up only to find that he’s being pushed onto his back with Baekhyun on top. This new angle has Baekhyun openly crying out into the air as his hands situate themselves around Chanyeol’s rib cage. Chanyeol finds the furrow of Baekhyun’s eyebrows enduring as he’s trying to focus on bouncing on his dick without faltering. Chanyeol lets out a chuckle as he lifts himself up into a sitting position with Baekhyun still bouncing up and down. They’re back to where they were when Baekhyun had him pinned up against the headboard while rocking his hips furiously. Except, this time, Baekhyun’s got Chanyeol inside him, and the pleasure is ten times more welcoming. “I’m close” Chanyeol lets out as his grip tightens on Baekhyun’s hips.  


Something in the air shifts when Chanyeol lets out those words. All thought of being gentle slips out of Baekhyun’s mind. Something like aggression takes over Baekhyun’s actions, he’s now locked one of his hands around Chanyeol’s neck, with his free hand landing to the side for leverage. His head is glued to the side of Chanyeol’s neck as his hips furiously rock back and forth, up and down, side to side, to claim his release. Chanyeol presses their bodies together as the warm breath on the side of his neck turns into heated suckles. Chanyeol doesn’t know how much longer he can hold on, but with the rate Baekhyun’s hips are going, he knows it’s not long.  


He hears soft cries as Baekhyun further presses his forehead against his neck. With a few more movements of Baekhyun’s hips and a sultry kiss to the mouth, Chanyeol comes with a low groan and arched back as a full load erupts inside Baekhyun. Not even getting a change to come down from his high or clean off his mess, he gets Baekhyun on his back once again and reaches between them to grab his dick. Both of them are now slick with sweat; the shiny expanse of Baekhyun’s neck has Chanyeol weak, and the blissed out face before him has him proud.  
As Chanyeol gently tries to stroke Baekhyun to his release, he takes the time to explore the glorious body before him once again. He takes a nipple between his lips and sucks hard, giving it occasional licks here and there. A small squeal escapes from Baekhyun’s lips at the intense stimulation.  


Nothing can compare to the small noises Baekhyun makes during sex, when he gets self conscious about how much noise he’s making. Chanyeol finds it cute that Baekhyun gets shy about things like that when he has so much confidence everywhere else. He wonders if it’s just with him he gets shy. The greedy side of him wants Baekhyun to only have moments like these with him, but he knows they’ll never be like that. Annoyance fills Chanyeol’s head and makes him involuntarily scrape his teeth along the nipple that’s still in his mouth.  


“Ah” Baekhyun lets out, loud and sharp. “That felt good.”  


A smile erupts on Chanyeol’s face knowing that Baekhyun had actually liked that. His hand picks up speed on Baekhyun’s cock, and his mouth takes hold of the plush flesh of Baekhyun’s belly. A few more strokes and Baekhyun comes in hot white spurts into Chanyeol’s hand. Not wanting to spread the mess, Chanyeol quickly gets off the bed and into the bathroom to grab a small towel. He wipes his hands and brings himself over to the bed to wipe down whatever remaining substance that was left behind.  
He’s now pulling his discarded shirt over his head to be on his way, when he feels a tender squeeze on his bicep. Chanyeol turns around to a smiling Baekhyun.  


“Stay”  


His ears perk up and his eyes widen at such bold words.  


“Y-you want me to stay?”  


“Yeah, for a little bit.”  


On autopilot, Chanyeol crawls back onto the bed, gathering Baekhyun in his arms. He savors in their post sex aroma while innocently stroking Baekhyun’s arm. He’ll take whatever he can get even if it’s just for a little bit.  


“If you’re gonna stay, you might as well take your shirt off” Baekhyun smirks.  


Letting go of his hold on Baekhyun, Chanyeol sits up to throw his shirt somewhere on the floor, long forgotten.  


“Hmm, much better” Baekhyun hums.  


They remain side by side, not touching. Chanyeol has half a mind to reach over and gather the smaller in his arms like he had done before. Thankfully, Baekhyun solves the internal debate going on in Chanyeol’s head by scooting closer to the taller and placing his head on his shoulder. Warmth spreads throughout Chanyeol’s body when he realizes their intimate proximity.  
He’ll take it.  


Even if it’s just for a minute, Chanyeol will take it.  


\--  


He doesn’t know how long he’s been sleeping, but when consciousness comes through, Chanyeol feels nimble fingers running through his hair. When he opens his eyes, Baekhyun is looking down at him with a blinding smile.  


“Wake up sleepyhead” Baekhyun whispers.  


Chanyeol glances at the bedside clock and finds that it’s three in the morning. He’s overstayed his welcome. He sits up on the bed and looks around for his clothes in the dark room. “Shit” he hisses out when he can’t find his pants. “Sorry, I should’ve been watching the time.”  


“It’s ok. You look nice when you sleep.” Baekhyun says as his eyes roam the expanse of Chanyeol’s naked body.  


“Y-yeah,” Chanyeol says awkwardly. “I’m gonna get going now.”  


“Alright. I’ll see you around"  


Chanyeol is once again in the heart of Cheongdam, hailing a cab to head back home. It’s that familiar feeling that washes over him again, it starts in the pit of his stomach and rises to the swell of his chest. His fingertips clam up and his toes get cold. He’s not sure what this feeling is, but what he does know is that everytime he leaves Baekhyun’s apartment, he wishes he’d never come back. He hates waiting alone on the side of the road for a cab to pass by, and he especially hates the twenty-four hour soju bar across the street filled with drunken men and trouble. He wishes to never come back here, to never be put in this position again, but after who knows how many days, Chanyeol begins to wonder if this is now his life.


	2. Chapter 2

_Can’t meet tonight. Got a pre-recording._

Chanyeol shoves his phone in his back pocket, and stares out the window of the bus. That message was sent two weeks ago. No word from Baekhyun since. He’d stopped coming to the salon due to his hectic schedule, while Chanyeol was holed up at the salon because his boss didn’t quite trust him enough to do outside jobs.  
He is a mix of emotions while riding the bus into Gangnam. He’s irritated that Baekhyun had stopped contacting him out of the blue, but somewhat thankful for the space so he can take his time to think through whatever it is they have going on. In the end, Chanyeol gets off the bus in an agitated mood, with a strong metallic taste threatening to make its way up to his mouth.  
When he enters the salon, he spots his boss at his station, waiting for him to arrive. It surprises Chanyeol because his boss never waits for him like that. It’s always Chanyeol having to go see him, not the other way around.  


“Oh, Chanyeol you’re here.” His boss extends his hand for him to take.  


Chanyeol dips down in a deep bow while shaking the man’s hand. “Good morning.”  


“It’s nice to see you working hard.” It’s a backhanded compliment that isn’t necessary if it weren’t for the awkward atmosphere between them -- the obvious shift in the man’s stance giving it away.  


“Listen” his boss pipes in. “There’s a schedule in Cheonan next week and Songhee can’t make it out there. I want you to fill in for her.”  


Chanyeol’s eyes go wide at the sudden proposition. “You want me to fill in for her?”  


“Yeah, why not? You’ve worked here for quite some time and I trust that you can do a good job.” His boss quirks his eyebrow in question. “You can do a good job, right?”  


Chanyeol nods frantically. “Of course I can. Thank you so much.”  


“That’s what I thought.” Chanyeol watches as his boss walks off to greet another stylist when the news finally sinks in.  


His first thought is to call Baekhyun and tell him about the exciting news, but stops in his tracks when he realizes that they don’t have that kind of relationship. Sure, they’re “friends”, but as of recently, their relationship had been more about the benefits than actual friendship. Chanyeol shakes the feeling away; he won’t allow thoughts of Baekhyun ruin this special moment.  


A saccharine smile forms on Chanyeol’s face as he basks in the thought of having his first real job outside of the salon. It’s an opportunity his boss thinks he can handle, and Chanyeol is determined to show him that he can handle anything thrown his way.  


\--  


It’s a busy day at the salon despite it being a Wednesday, but it keeps Chanyeol busy and his mind occupied with something other than the thought of a particular man who happens to be missing in action. At a quarter to midnight, Chanyeol finishes his last customer and hails a cab to take him home. It’s been a long day, and Chanyeol is more than exhausted from standing on his feet. He plops down on his couch and crosses his legs to knead at his aching toes. He quite enjoys the quiet of his apartment late at night when people settle into sleep and he’s left to his own thoughts. The pressure from relieving his feet puts Chanyeol at the brink of sleep, when a harsh vibration sounds from his phone. He blinks several times to see the name on the screen, not believing who it is.  


_Hey just finished my schedule.  
_

__

_Wanna meet up?  
_

__

_I’ll pick you up._

Chanyeol’s fingers make their way to type out an enthusiastic ‘sure!’, when a small voice in the back of his head brings him back to reality. It reminds him that Baekhyun had practically ghosted him for two weeks, and all he wants to do now, is meetup to make up for lost time. It’s true. Chanyeol can imagine their meeting. Baekhyun will pick him up in his heavily tinted, not to mention expensive, Audi, drive them back to his apartment, have a round in the sheets and kick him out right after, without even having the decency to drive him back home. Everything in Chanyeol’s head is telling him no, but his heart feels giddy at the thought of Baekhyun actually wanting to pick him up.  
Baekhyun’s never wanted to pick him up before.  


_Sounds good.  
_

__

He’ll regret this later, but for right now, he wants to give in. Chanyeol wants to see the man who makes him happy, no matter how many times he breaks his heart.  
An agonizing hour later, Baekhyun finally messages that he’s waiting outside. There’s a skip in Chanyeol’s step as he approaches the elevator and frantically presses the button as if it’ll come any faster.  


A sleek, four door car waits for him right outside the building doors. It intimidates Chanyeol as he approaches it and quickly slips inside. Baekhyun gives him a quick ‘hi’ and shifts his car into drive. He’s dressed quite fancy for one in the morning, having just come from his schedule. Jeans and a tight button down effortlessly hang off Baekhyun’s body, defining the curve of his muscles with the help of the dim light emanating from the dashboard. Neither of them say a word to each other, just silently eyeing the city lights as they zoom by.  


It’s when they approach Banpo bridge that Chanyeol knows they’re not heading to Baekhyun’s apartment. He should have known it was too good to be true. Baekhyun doesn’t respect him enough to drive across town, pick him up, and drive all the way back just to have sex. Baekhyun parks in a secluded outcove just north of the Han River. There’s not a person in sight, with trees surrounding them on all sides. When Baekhyun turns the engine off, they’re surrounded by the faint light of the dashboard.  


“I thought we could sit and talk.” Baekhyun’s voice is light and airy. “Catch up on things.”  


“Oh, uh, sure.” Baekhyun’s never wanted to just talk before, and it catches Chanyeol off guard.  


“So, what have you been up to?” Chanyeol watches as Baekhyun’s hand makes its way over to land on his thigh.  


“Nothing much. Just work.” He doesn’t move it, just keeps it there, giving gentle squeezes.  


“Me too. It’s been hectic,” Baekhyun sighs out as he leans back in his seat, using his other hand to pinch his brows together. The hand on Chanyeol’s thigh remains, now sliding up and down in gentle strokes. It makes Chanyeol nervous because he doesn’t know whether to take it as a sign of affection, or a precursor to sex.  
He soon finds out it’s the latter when Baekhyun clumsily climbs over to straddle his lap. It’s a hot mess of tongues and hands as they hungrily make out in the passenger seat of the car.  


_‘Nice talk’_ Chanyeol thinks to himself as Baekhyun licks his way into his mouth. But for some reason, Chanyeol can’t help himself. He wants to keep the conversation going, to have something decent to talk about before they get down to business. When Baekhyun moves his way down to give Chanyeol’s neck a good sucking, he takes this opportunity to continue their forgotten conversation.  


“How was your day?” Chanyeol asks.  


“Fine” rushes out Baekhyun as he continues his assault on Chanyeol’s neck.  


“What’d you do?”  


“Pre-recording”  


This time, Baekhyun moves up to capture Chanyeol’s lips in an obvious attempt to shut him up. Their lips tangle in a sweet reunion after two weeks of not seeing each other. Moans of pleasure bounce off the windows of the car, and fog begins to build as their breaths become harder to control. Baekhyun, thinking Chanyeol had caught on to his intentions, pulls away from their kiss to look bump their foreheads together, there’s a wicked smile on Baekhyun’s face when he dives down to take Chanyeol’s adam’s apple between his lips. With his mouth now free, Chanyeol, out of impulse, once again continues to speak.  


“How was that? Was it for-”  


_“Fuck_ Chanyeol!”  


Chanyeol lets a startled gasp escape from his lips.  


Baekhyun leans back on Chanyeol’s lap and moves his hands to his shoulders. “Sorry,” he huffs out. “I just- I’ve had a really long day today.”  


“No yeah. Of course.” Chanyeol doesn’t let his voice falter one bit. “Sorry.”  


A smile forms on Baekhyun’s lips as he ruffles Chanyeol’s hair. “You’re cute, you know that?” And without so much as another word from Chanyeol, they continue to kiss. Somehow in the midst of their desperation, they end up in the back seat with one of Baekhyun’s legs propped up while the other hangs lazily off the other side. Their clothes are very much off and tossed into the front seat. As Chanyeol continues to kiss down the length of Baekhyun’s neck and grinding his hips ever so slightly, sounds of longing and desire surround them in the car. It’s when Baekhyun practically screams from the stimulation that Chanyeol believes he, too, hasn’t been with anyone these past two weeks.  


He _almost_ believes it.  


__

“There should be condoms in the middle compartment” Baekhyun lets out.  


Chanyeol pulls away to check the compartment, when something dawns on him. At the bottom, sits an open box of condoms. There aren’t many left, and that pulls at Chanyeol’s heart. One thing he learns right in that moment is that Baekhyun is a great actor. With his idol status and training, being over dramatic and exaggerating is like second nature. He’s a fool to think Baekhyun doesn’t see other people.  


“You have no lube?” Chanyeol asks with a straight face.  


Baekhyun props himself up on his elbows to give Chanyeol a sultry grin. “You won’t hurt me. I trust you.”  


“No promises” Chanyeol mumbles under his breath. He’s not sure if Baekhyun hears it or not, but judging by the sound of a soft chuckle, Chanyeol has half a mind to think that Baekhyun actually enjoyed what he said. The cramped space of the backseat doesn’t give them much freedom to do the things they would usually do. Foreplay is out of the question, for every time one of them riles the other up, their limbs come into contact with some part of the car, forcing them to come down from their high. It’s left both of them distraught with frustration, but not quite enough to make them stop.  


Chanyeol lets out an exasperated groan. “I’m gonna start now.”  


“Ok” Baekhyun says breathily.  


With the condom tightly wrapped around him, Chanyeol grabs hold of the headrests in the front and back seat to brace himself. What started off being a quickie in the backseat, turned into a slow mess of limbs and breaths trapped between the expensive leather interior and foggy windows. The car is shaking dangerously fast as Chanyeol drives into Baekhyun out of desperation? Anger? He doesn’t really know himself, but either way if anyone were to spot the car from a distance, they would know the events occuring.  


Loud cries cut through the air and bounce off every imaginable surface in the car. It hurts Chanyeol’s ears at one point, almost annoys him, but he quickly plays it off.. He can tell Baekhyun is nearing his end when his back arches off the leather seat; emitting a sticky release from all the sweat that collected. His mouth forms a silent ‘O’ and hungrily reaches for Chanyeol’s neck to bring him down for a seductive kiss. It strains his back when he finally leans down to kiss Baekhyun. He soon forgets the pain coming from his shoulders when Baekhyun laps at the skin right below his jaw.  


It’s so hot in the car that both of them are covered in a thin layer of moisture -- hair sticking to their face, and beads of sweat rolling off their skin. Both of their bodies are shaking in the back seat, with Chanyeol unable to fully stretch his body out, and Baekhyun getting the short end of the stick precisely because Chanyeol is so limited in his movements. Working with what he has, Chanyeol thrusts faster and harder just to get this over with and Baekhyun off. Reaching between their sweaty bodies, Chanyeol grabs hold of Baekhyun’s cock and methodically strokes it in time with his thrusts.  


In what feels like minutes, Baekhyun comes in white pearls all over Chanyeol’s hands, making a mess in the already gross atmosphere of the car. Chanyeol follows shortly after, filling the condom with the release he was so reluctant to get. In the end, it’s Chanyeol who peels away from a sticky Baekhyun, tying the used condom and flinging it out the window. Both of them are panting more than usual from not being used to having sex in such small quarters. Chanyeol is now sitting in the front seat, putting his clothes back on, while Baekhyun is still in the back trying to come down from his high.  


Baekhyun chuckles. “So that’s it?”  


Chanyeol turns in his seat after pulling his shirt over his head. “What do you mean?”  


“No after-sex cuddle?” Baekhyun stares at the ceiling, one arm resting above his head with his legs still spread.  


Chanyeol faces forward when he realizes it’s nothing important. “It’s cramped back there, doesn’t really scream ‘hold me’”  


“Nice of you to leave me hanging.” Baekhyun sits up. “Hand me my clothes.”  


Chanyeol reaches over and gathers Baekhyun’s clothes. When he tosses them back to a still-very-naked Baekhyun, annoyance settles on his face. Baekhyun was the one who wanted to have sex in the car, yet still expects the same treatment as when they’re in his apartment. He could have just taken them to his apartment and this whole tension filled atmosphere could have been avoided. Now, they’re avoiding one another in such close proximity that it feels weird to be around each other.  


“Guess I’ll just take you back then” Baekhyun says, clearly annoyed.  


The rest of the ride back to Chanyeol’s apartment is filled with copious amounts of silence. What happened tonight had been new for the both of them, but felt wrong in Chanyeol’s eyes. From the moment Baekhyun said he would pick Chanyeol up, there was something off about the whole thing. True to his gut feelings, things were off, and because of that, they’re now sitting in silence waiting for the light to turn green.  


When Chanyeol spots the familiar building of his apartment, a wave of relief washes over him. He just wants to get out of the car and escape whatever’s flying around in the air. As Baekhyun pulls up to the front entrance and puts his car into park, Chanyeol knows he’s not leaving the car anytime soon.  


Baekhyun’s face is stoic as he sits there staring off into the distance. When he finally turns to Chanyeol, his face turns soft.“Hey, I just wanted to apologize again for what happened back there.” Apologize for what? Being annoyed that Chanyeol didn’t want to cuddle? “I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. I just had a bad day today.”  


Then his hand is back to its original spot on Chanyeol’s thigh. The same hand that wanted to “talk” when they first got to the river. The same hand that pulled him down for a kiss so mind blowing that Chanyeol can still feel the ache of his shoulders. It’s also the same hand that pushes him away. Always keeping them at a fine distance so they don’t get too close. It keeps them at bay because this isn’t Baekhyun’s first rodeo. He’s experienced in the art of relationships. He knows the in’s and out’s of sneaking around and expertly being discreet. Chanyeol, on the other hand, has only had one serious relationship.  


There’s not much Chanyeol can say at this point. He can’t express his true feelings in fear of making Baekhyun angry and end their meetings. He likes Baekhyun, he likes the smooth slide of his mouth when his lips form into a smile, he likes the pout that forms whenever he’s talking about something he loves, and most of all, he likes that no matter how famous Baekhyun is, he always seems to be the most normal person in the room.  


Which is why he’s currently sitting in the passenger seat of Baekhyun’s car accepting the apology that half heartedly escapes the beautiful man’s mouth. He’s fallen for a man who wouldn’t look back if Chanyeol were to fall behind. No, Baekhyun keeps moving forward -- has to move forward. He doesn’t have time for people like Chanyeol.  


“Say something.” Baekhyun’s eyes plead with Chanyeol to say something -- _anything_ \-- that will put his mind at ease.  


__

“It’s ok.” Chanyeol whispers, placing his hand on top of Baekhyun’s.  


Crescent eyes and perfect teeth reveal themselves as Baekhyun tries to contain his relief. No longer are they stuck to suffer in silence.  


It’s Chanyeol who hovers his hand over the door lever, to make a quick exit. “I’ll see you around.”  


“Of course.” Baekhyun smiles. Chanyeol steps out of the car, leaving behind a flirty air that Baekhyun all too easily welcomes.  


\--  


If both of them learned anything from their first time having sex in the backseat of a car, it would be that it was far from amazing.  


The second time it happens (rearing the same results) it reveals that both Chanyeol and Baekhyun had learned nothing from the first time.  


But when it happens a third time, they figure out that Baekhyun riding Chanyeol in the front seat yields far better outcomes than being sprawled out in the back trying to chase their release.  


Their meetings have been become more frequent over the past few weeks, not only meeting just on Wednesdays anymore. Now, their new routine consists of Baekhyun picking Chanyeol up during odd hours of the night and scurrying them off somewhere private to give the car a good shaking.  


On this particular night, when they’ve pulled up in front of Chanyeol’s apartment, car still reeking of sex, it’s much earlier than their previous adventures. Having just passed a quarter to ten, it feels odd for the both of them to be returning before people are actually asleep. Baekhyun has an early schedule tomorrow, one that Chanyeol will be accompanying him to, but he hasn’t quite gotten around to telling Baekhyun about it, not knowing if it’s something even worth mentioning.  


“You have a schedule in Cheonan tomorrow right?” Chanyeol asks against his better judgement. “I’ll be there too. I’m filling in for Songhee.”  


Surprise fills Baekhyun’s face. “You are?”  


“Yeah, I guess Naejoo hyung finally trusts me,” Chanyeol chuckles vaguely.  


The bright light coming from Baekhyun’s phone stings Chanyeol’s eyes. Compared to the darkness of the car, it’s an unwelcoming discomfort. He watches as Baekhyun types something into his phone, brows furrowed together in concentration.  


“Why didn’t you tell me?” Baekhyun never looks up from his screen. “We could have gone together.”  


Confusion strikes Chanyeol’s face as Baekhyun is still furiously typing away at his phone. “It’s my first job outside of the salon. I didn’t even know we were allowed to do that.”  


“You have a lot to learn,” Baekhyun says, never breaking his gaze from the device in front of him.  


A few more rapid taps, and short bouts of scrolling later, Baekhyun clicks his phone off and is once again solely focused on the man next to him. Both of them are frozen in each other’s stare. Chanyeol finds himself entranced with the way Baekhyun’s eyes slightly droop on the sides, giving him the perfect puppy dog look. This isn’t the first time he’s noticed Baekhyun’s eyes, he’s always staring -- _looking_ \-- at Baekhyun to admire his features. Soft giggles escape the both of them, knowing how ridiculous they must look just sitting there aimlessly.  


__

It’s Chanyeol who breaks their warm bubble when he clears his throat. He clutches his cell phone in one hand and grabs for the door latch with the other. Turning his head to the side, he gives Baekhyun a shy wave before opening the door.  


Baekhyun, with his elbow resting lazily on top of the middle compartment, returns Chanyeol’s shy wave and says, “See you tomorrow.”  


Fleeting moments like these are always hard to part with. The air around them is lit with something neither of them can name. Except, Chanyeol has a pretty good idea of what it could be. He’s been feeling it since the start of their meetings, but he’s not sure Baekhyun knows quite yet. Hope starts to bubble inside Chanyeol’s stomach as he steps into the elevator, waiting to be taken back to his apartment.  


\--  


Summers in Korea are less than beautiful. Forests in Korea during the summer are downright painful. There’s currently a shoot taking place in front the famous Cheonan temple, with production having to stop every ten minutes to wipe someone’s sweat. Being the on site hair stylist for the shoot, Chanyeol and three other staff members are in charge of making sure hair is styled to perfection at all times. Unfortunately, hot and humid weather don’t always mix well with perfection.  


Baekhyun and the rest of his members are lounging around in the waiting area, while hair and makeup are going about making last minute touches before they have to go out and film again. 

It’s overwhelming at first, but Chanyeol soon gets the hang of it by watching the other hair stylist’s every move.  


Fourteen grueling hours of fixing hair, placing the right strands into place, and the shoot is finally over.  


By the end of the day, Chanyeol is so exhausted, he can almost feel his bed as the bus approaches his apartment. He doesn’t even care that Baekhyun hadn’t said a word to him all day, or the fact that he avoided his gaze every chance he could. All Chanyeol wants to do is make contact with his bed and not wake up for at least the next twelve hours. And that’s exactly what he does when he enters his apartment. Without bothering to wash up or change out of his sweat ridden clothes, Chanyeol falls face first onto his bed. In a matter of minutes, sleep takes over, and all is well again.  


That is, until an incessant buzz sounds throughout the room a few hours later. It takes Chanyeol a couple of minutes to come through and fully realize that it’s his phone ringing in his bag. Slowly, he sits up in his bed and reaches down to retrieve his phone. It’s almost two in the morning when he sees the time on his phone, but most shockingly, it’s Baekhyun who’s calling.  


When he answers his phone, the first thing Chanyeol is greeted with is loud chatter and sounds of silverware clinking --he thinks Baekhyun must be out eating somewhere.  


“Hello?”  


There’s a pause.  


“Baekhyun?”  


This time, the sound of chatter becomes distant and is replaced by loud shuffling followed by what sounds like a car door. Everything goes quiet for what seems like forever, when he finally hears Baekhyun’s soft breaths come through. Too shocked to say a word, Chanyeol remains on the line, listening.  


“Hey Chanyeol” Baekhyun cooes. At first it startles Chanyeol, then, he realizes what’s going on.  


He’s drunk.  


“H-hey Baek…” Chanyeol’s response comes out as a stutter, and he doesn’t know why he’s nervous all of a sudden. He shouldn’t be nervous, it’s just a phone call, but the thought of having a _drunk_ Baekhyun calling him drains all the blood from his face. Perhaps it’s the idea that Baekhyun called _him_ out of everyone else, or the fact that it’s two in the morning and hearing Baekhyun’s drunk voice kind of turns him on.  


“I wan t’see you” Baekhyun slurs. “M’gonna pick you up.”  


Panic sets in on Chanyeol. “No no no don’t pick me up!”  


“Why not?” Chanyeol can almost see the pout forming on Baekhyun’s face. “I reeally want to see you.”  


He doesn’t know what to do in a situation like this. Talking someone out of driving while drunk isn’t something Chanyeol’s done much of. He imagines it’s like coaxing a baby out of doing something dangerous, but Baekhyun’s far from being a baby, and Chanyeol’s horrible with kids.  
Chanyeol gets up from his bed and paces around his room thinking of what to say next. He has to get this right or else things could get real bad. “How about I come to you?” he says, imagining a light bulb going off above his head.  


There’s something close to whining or giggling coming from the other side and Chanyeol has a hard time making out the noise. “You would do that?” Another soft whine or giggle. “You’re so sweet Chanyeol.”  


He lets out a long sigh as relief exits his body. “No problem. Where are you?” Chanyeol says, slightly out of breath.  


“Mm, in Gangnam.” Baekhyun’s voice has gone up a few octaves which means he’s teasing. “Or is it Apgujeong?”  


Chanyeol brings his hand up to head, leaning on it for support. “Apgujeong is in Gangnam,” Chanyeol says. “Where in Apgujeong are you?”  


“Mm I think the place is called Wangjo?” Baekhyun giggles. “Or is it Wangbo? Or Wanggo?”  


Chanyeol doesn’t need to know the name of the place to know exactly where Baekhyun is. He’s at Wangcho on the east side of Apgujeong. Baekhyun and the rest of his members are regulars there whenever they go out for drinks. It’s tucked away between a giant Olive Young store and a less than appealing twenty-four hour karaoke bar. He remembers going there when Baekhyun and the rest of his members treated the entire staff to meat and drinks after wrapping up their world tour. It’s expensive, which is why it’s the perfect place for Baekhyun to be.  


“Ok, I’ll be right there.”  


\--  


You’d think living in the city, it would be easy to get a cab. Turns out, cab drivers don’t like to work past eleven on weeknights. It takes Chanyeol approximately forty minutes to hunt down a cab, and another twenty minutes trying to convince the driver to take him all the way to Apgujeong. Reluctantly, Chanyeol hands over the money and gets out of the cab more annoyed than he expected to be. In the end, he ends up paying the driver double what it would have been during normal hours.  


He spots the restaurant a few blocks away, and also spots Baekhyun’s car right in front of it. Chanyeol’s mind is put at ease knowing Baekhyun hadn’t attempted to drive after all. As he climbs up the stairs to the restaurant, he can hear the ruckus of men coming from the far end of the building. A woman escorts Chanyeol to the other side of the restaurant. Tucked away in the back corner, the woman slides the rice paper doors to reveal Baekhyun and the rest of his members sitting in one long row grilling meat and sharing drinks. Not all of them seem to be drunk quite yet, while some seem to be on the verge of passing out.  


“Chanyeollie~ you’re here!”  


He spots Baekhyun at the end of the table, slumped over with a bottle of soju in his hand. He can barely stand himself up when he attempts to walk over and give Chanyeol a hug.  


“You’re here for me~” Baekhyun sing songs into Chanyeol’s chest.  


The smell of freshly grilled meat mixed with the pungent stench of soju hits Chanyeol all at once. “Yeah I’m here. How about I take you take home now?”  


“You would like that wouldn’t you?” Baekhyun’s voice is low and seductive. “Get me all hot and bothered.”  


“N-no you’re drunk.” Chanyeol tries to keep the assertiveness in his voice. “Better to just sleep it off at home.”  


“Ok, we can leave.” Baekhyun’s eyes are half-lidded and filled with a promise. “But you have to have a drink with me first.”  


He looks around the room to find that the rest of the members are welcoming him over to have a few drinks. Chanyeol denies them at first, claiming that he didn’t want to intrude, but an eager Baekhyun drags him by his jacket sleeve and pulls him down to have a seat right next to him.  


“Hey Chanyeol, nice to see you here for a change.” One of the members greets. It’s the leader of the group, Junmyeon, who gets up and walks to the end of the table to pour Chanyeol a drink. He takes the glass with two hands and bows in thanks. As he tosses the drink back, wincing at the slight burn it leaves behind, Baekhyun is all over him once again. With a tight-lipped smile, Baekhyun rearranges them both, sitting in Chanyeol’s lap with his hands looped around his neck. It’s a compromising position, but Chanyeol can’t help being entranced by the man in front of him. His hands are splayed beside him on the wooden floor, as Baekhyun slumps against him, head tucked nicely between his neck.  


“Won’t you hold me Chanyeollie?” Baekhyun’s breath is warm against Chanyeol’s neck.  


Slightly taken aback, Chanyeol clears his throat. “Not here.”  


“Not here, not in the car, not ever” Baekhyun whines. “You never want to hold me anymore Chanyeollie.”  


There’s a slight jump in Chanyeol’s heart beat when Baekhyun slumps further down along his body. These words --this drunken confession of wanting to be held, sends spikes of joy through Chanyeol’s body, when he realizes that Baekhyun is just _drunk_ Baekhyun would never say these words if he were sober -- too proud to say something so cheesy and vulnerable. Despite all the inner turmoil, Chanyeol files away this moment in the back of his mind as the exact moment in which he gets a glimpse at the _real_ Baekhyun.  


Slowly, Chanyeol starts to pull Baekhyun off of him in an attempt to get him to sit on the floor. He needs to get him out of the restaurant and into his car.  


“Let’s get you home Baek.”  


“Ooh good idea,” Baekhyun says enthusiastically. “How about you take me home and you can hold me all. night. long.”  


“Sure” Chanyeol lies. At this point he’ll do anything to convince Baekhyun to go home.  


Suddenly, Baekhyun shoots up from where he was sitting on the floor and quickly grabs Chanyeol’s hand. “Let’s get out of here then.”  


Baekhyun hurriedly says his goodbyes to his members and clumsily pulls Chanyeol toward the front door. When Baekhyun nearly tumbles down the stairs, Chanyeol decides it’s better for Baekhyun to go slowly rather than run out of the restaurant. As they make it into Baekhyun’s car, Chanyeol finally feels like he has the situation under control. He’ll take Baekhyun home, tuck him into bed, and leave so he can get some well deserved sleep in the comfort of his own apartment.  


The streets are empty as Chanyeol drives through the sleep ridden city of Gangnam. Pulling up to Baekhyun’s swanky apartment building, Chanyeol maneuvers his way into the underground garage. It’s a long ride up to the twentieth floor as Chanyeol tries to hold Baekhyun upright, silently praying no one gets on with them. As they approach Baekhyun’s apartment, Chanyeol faces the challenge of figuring out the passcode.  


“Baek, what’s your passcode?” Chanyeol asks.  
Baekhyun manages to wedge himself between his apartment door and Chanyeol. Facing the taller man, he slithers his arms around his waist. “You have to kiss me for it first.”  


“Come on Baek, don’t do this.”  


“Fine, then I guess we’re not going inside.” Baekhyun’s voice is stern yet teasing. “I’m fine staying here like this.” He pulls Chanyeol in for a tight hug, clinging onto him like a baby.  
A few minutes pass when Baekhyun looks up at Chanyeol, expecting him to not go through with it. Hesitantly, Chanyeol grabs both of the smaller man’s cheeks and brings him up for a quick peck on the lips.  


“You call that a kiss Chanyeollie?” Baekhyun scoffs. “I know for a fact you can do better than that.”  


In slight frustration, Chanyeol leans in to connect both their lips. He doesn’t attempt to prod any further, wanting to keep the kiss innocent, when Baekhyun flicks his tongue against Chanyeol’s lower lip, coaxing him to open up. It’s a battle that’s short lived as Chanyeol gives in and opens his mouth for Baekhyun to explore. Slender fingers thread their way into Chanyeol’s hair, pulling gently to elicit a soft moan.  


This is much more than Chanyeol had been going for, but the sweet taste of Baekhyun’s lips is something he can never resist, and having him to pliant against him makes all his blood run south. Baekhyun smiles into their kiss when he feels Chanyeol harden against his leg. Reaching down, Baekhyun softly cups Chanyeol and starts running his hand up and down in gentle strokes. Chanyeol quickly pulls away and cautiously looks around the empty hallway to check if anyone had seen what was going on.  


“1-1-2-9” Baekhyun says breathily. “I knew you had it in you Chanyeollie.”  


When both of them are well inside Baekhyun’s apartment, Chanyeol is exhausted from fighting off all the advances Baekhyun tried to make the minute they walked through the door. A mixture of hands, sultry kisses, and even a few lap dances in between were all attempted by an overzealous Baekhyun, but failed in actually trying to rile Chanyeol into the mood. Instead, Chanyeol leads the smaller to bed and tucks him in tightly. Not long after, Baekhyun is passed out on his bed, and Chanyeol sighs in relief. He can now go home and sleep, whatever happened tonight, off and have a fresh start in the morning.  


Except, when Chanyeol finally settles into his own bed, he is suddenly wide awake -- unable to get Baekhyun off his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're reading this then that means you made it to end of this blob of an update! Yay! This chapter was a whopping 5k! I could have written more because I had so many ideas for this chapter, but it would have made it way too long.  
> I kind of glossed over a lot of details in this chapter like Chanyeol's first real job out of the salon and Baekhyun's drunken "attempts" to make Chanyeol stay (let me know if you want a drabble of that though lol) but once again, it would have made the chapter way too bulky! But I hope the read is ok!  
> Let me know what you guys think!  
> Happy New Year!  
> Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

It’s another one of those Friday nights where Baekhyun calls Chanyeol in the middle of the night complaining of stomach pains -- which has quickly evolved into their code for _sex_. 

As both of them fall back onto Baekhyun’s silk covered pillows, Chanyeol is splayed out on the bed, arms and legs spread wide -- both of them panting heavily, trying to catch their breath. Chanyeol can feel the man’s hot breath against his neck along with eyelashes scraping gently against his jaw. It’s terribly intimate for what they have -- bordering along something both of them are afraid to bring up. 

“Whatcha thinkin’ about mr. scholar?” Chanyeol feels the trail of breath Baekhyun lets out as he giggles into his neck. 

“Nothing,” Chanyeol says, trying to shake his thoughts away. 

“You can tell me anything.” Baekhyun’s voice is sweet like honey as it rolls into Chanyeol’s ears -- husky and filled with affection. “That’s what friends are for.” 

_Ouch._

After the Apgujeong incident a few weeks back, Chanyeol felt a shift in their arrangement. They were spending more time together, with each meeting having slightly more meaning than the last. He thought he had finally gotten through to Baekhyun -- to have him see that what they have isn’t so bad afterall. 

Anger -- mixed with whatever other frustrations -- comes crashing down on Chanyeol all at once. Anyone with a brain would know the minute they spot Chanyeol and Baekhyun together, that they were something more than friends. The late night calls, last minute meetings, and lingering touches are enough to expose them both. Everyone in the world would put a label to what they have, except for them. 

“I have to go,” Chanyeol whispers into Baekhyun’s lilac locks, which he dyed a few hours ago. He doesn’t need to go anywhere, just needs to go anywhere away from Baekhyun. 

“What?” Baekhyun pulls away in shock. “We just finished.” Something like confusion and disbelief takes over Baekhyun’s tone. “You can stay for a little bit.” Baekhyun stares up at Chanyeol with his famous puppy dog eyes. 

“I have to be in Yeouido in a few hours.” Another lie. Chanyeol untangles himself from Baekhyun and searches around for his shirt. “Got music show duties.” 

“Oh yeah, I forgot Naejoo hyung actually likes you now.” A gentle chuckle echoes throughout the room. Baekhyun’s comment adds fuel to Chanyeol’s already inflamed mood. 

“I’m thankful for it. Keeps me busy.” Comes Chanyeol’s curt reply while pulling his discarded shirt over his head. 

“Busy enough to stop seeing me?” Chanyeol doesn’t answer; just looks lazily around the room for his jeans. Before he can spot his missing pants, there’s a soft caress to his bicep -- stroking up and down like a lover would. Chanyeol looks down and see’s mild curiosity littering Baekhyun’s face. This is a test and he knows it. 

He gets up from the bed and bends down to grab his jeans. “Of course not. I couldn’t bear to lose a friend.” Chanyeol turns to give Baekhyun a smile so big, he’s sure the man knows it’s fake. 

Just then, the light from the window comes in impossibly bright. Silk sheets are shining in the everglow, with an equally shining man lying naked underneath. Chanyeol imagines they’re in ancient Roman times when royalty wore beautiful fabric across their bodies, adorned with the most precious jewels. He imagines Baekhyun would be one of those people by the way his silk sheets drape ever so naturally across his body -- hugging every curve. Chanyeol stills, and ogles at the stark contrast between Baekhyun’s milky skin and the dark of his sheets. He can make out every inch of Baekhyun’s skin, and how he carelessly doesn’t care how the sheets land on his body. 

All traces of anger have disappeared from Chanyeol’s body. He hates that he can’t stay mad at Baekhyun. He wants a reason to be mad -- to make Baekhyun see he‘s not playing around. 

Chanyeol is stupidly in love with the man in front of him. He remembers a few weeks back, after his Choenan job, and after the Apgujeong incident, how he would purposely avoid Baekhyun’s half-hearted attempts to coax him into his bed. Chanyeol drowned himself in work. Going to music shows, having twelve hour days, and staying long after closing time at the salon in an attempt to drown out his feelings. 

Copious amounts of work is how he deals with his twisted, unrequited love story. 

Loud shuffling from the bed distracts Chanyeol from his thoughts. Baekhyun is now sitting up in bed facing Chanyeol, with the sheets pooling around his waist, exposing the slightest of hairs on his lower belly. “We’re still on for dinner tomorrow, right?” 

Dinner. Chanyeol had completely forgotten about the dinner Baekhyun had so diligently convinced him to go to. He remembers the call Baekhyun had given him early in the morning. He had just gotten back from music shows a few hours back. 

“Hello?” Chanyeol groans out. 

“Are you free for dinner on the 12th?” 

“What?” Confusion and sleep deprivation radiate off his voice. 

Despite having just woken up, Chanyeol imagines Baekhyun smiling through the phone. 

“Dinner. I’m asking if you’re free for dinner.” 

“It’s six in the morning…,” whines Chanyeol. 

“I know. So are you free?” 

“Sure.” 

“Awesome. Now go back to sleep. Sorry to wake you.” 

To be quite honest, Chanyeol doesn’t remember much from that phone call, but apparently he agreed to dinner, which happens to be tomorrow. To his defense, he should have been asked at a proper time for him to be consciously aware of what he’s saying, but this is Byun Baekhyun, and he never plays by the rules. 

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Chanyeol walks over to the night stand to grab his phone and wallet, when thin fingers land on his wrist. It’s gentle, yet exudes desire. Baekhyun is now standing, abandoning his silky sheets, to face Chanyeol. He grabs for the taller man’s neck and pulls him down to connect their lips. Chanyeol keeps his mouth closed. Instead, letting Baekhyun flutter light pecks onto his lips. There’s no heat to the kiss. These kisses are like ones a wife would give her husband just before he leaves for work -- sweet and encouraging. 

“Bye” Baekhyun breathes out, biting his lower lip. 

Desire. That’s all that’s pumping through Chanyeol’s veins at the moment. He didn’t think his want for the smaller man could get any bigger, but subtle moments like these, where both of them seem like lovers instead of friends, Chanyeol can’t help but want to pour his heart out. But he can’t. So instead, he cups Baekhyun’s face in his palms and kisses him with what he hopes are his feelings. Even though no words are exchanged. 

Baekhyun pulls both of them down onto the bed while trapping Chanyeol in between his legs. What started out as simple, ends up being messy and filled with lust. Chanyeol’s turned on again, but he can’t give in. His previous attempt to leave still lingers in the air, and Chanyeol’s stubbornness needs him to carry out what he sought to do. He’d lost control with Baekhyun long ago, but his decisions are the only thing he does have control over, and he needs that. Needs that more than Baekhyun because Chanyeol is his own person. He doesn’t belong to Baekhyun, even though Baekhyun’s _had_ him for the past six months. 

“You sure you can’t stay a little longer?” Baekhyun’s voice is scruffy and breathless. 

“I have to go.” Is all Chanyeol says before getting up from the bed once again. He doesn’t know what the intentions behind Baekhyun’s kiss was, but he wants to think it’s because Baekhyun wants him to stay. Chanyeol wants to think that Baekhyun had it all planned out in his head -- that placing a soft kiss to his lips would trigger something more. 

It worked. 

Oh, how it worked so well. 

Baekhyun is back on the bed and under the covers like before. It’s the same beautiful image Chanyeol had imagined just a moment ago. But this time, Baekhyun is looking back at him like he’s the one shining in the dark room. The twinkle in Baekhyun’s eyes sends a shutter down Chanyeol’s spine. As he takes one last look over his shoulder, he finds that Baekhyun is still looking. 

\-- 

Chanyeol is all smiles the next day at work. As he adjusts his casual, yet dressy, button down, he thinks about his dinner with Baekhyun tonight. Though he didn’t know where the two of them would be headed, Chanyeol knows in the back of his mind it’s going to be somewhere fancy. Also, because Baekhyun had sent him a message a few hours ago telling him to dress fancy, but Chanyeol pushes that thought aside. 

“Chanyeol. Hey, Chanyeol. Can you hear me?” 

There’s a hand waving in front of his face. “What?” 

“I called you like five times. Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just spaced out for a second.” 

“Well focus. Songhee needs you in the back.” 

Chanyeol gathers himself after the initial shock of being pulled out of his thoughts. He treks his way to the storage room where all the essentials are stored. 

Chanyeol pops his head in the room. “Taewook-hyung said you needed me?” 

“Yes. I need help sorting the color shipments Naejoo-oppa ordered. There’s tons.” 

Boxes of little tubes lay in front of them. All of these need to be sorted by color and make, just how Chanyeol’s boss likes them. Most of the time stylists avoid sorting duties, but today, Chanyeol gets caught in the middle of it. He doesn’t mind the sorting as much as the small talk Songhee attempts to make. 

“So, how do you like working here so far?” 

“It’s great. I love it,” says Chanyeol as he places a tube of hair dye in its correct drawer. 

Songhee gives him a puzzled look. “You love it?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Nobody loves this job, Chanyeol.” 

“Well, I do.” A smile creeps up on his face as his thoughts trail to Baekhyun. If he didn’t have this job, he would never have met Baekhyun. 

“Unless you’re seeing some hot shot idol, then no one likes this job. Although, I suggest you not get involved with an idol, or anyone famous.” 

Chanyeol gulps. “Why not?” 

“Are you serious?” Songhee scoffs. “Didn’t you hear what happened to Haejin-unnie? She got accused of being involved with some actor. Got fired on the spot.” 

Now, Chanyeol is full on shaking. He remembers when Haejin stopped coming to work, but he didn’t think it was because of that. He didn’t know it was that serious. 

“Now, she can’t find work anywhere in the industry,” Songhee continues. “Everyone looks at her like some gold digging hair stylist. I feel bad for her.” 

What would people say if top idol Byun Baekhyun was caught involved with a man. Sure, media would have a field day with it, but career wise, it would end both of theirs. It’s a huge burden to think about, Chanyeol knows that. That’s why he feels like he’s constantly walking on eggshells around Baekhyun -- too afraid to mess anything up. 

Unease settles over Chanyeol as he shuffles to sort the hair dye. With dinner just around the corner, he’s having second thoughts. He wonders how bad Baekhyun would take it if he cancelled last minute. But then again, he’s the one who agreed to go. 

“Uh Chanyeol? Your phones ringing.” Turning his head toward the buzzing device, he thanks every god in the book when he realizes he left his phone face down on the counter. 

“Hello?” Chanyeol whispers, turning away from Songhee. 

“Why are you whispering?” Comes Baekhyun’s (loud) confused voice on the other side. 

“I’m not supposed to be on the phone at work. Why’d you call?” 

“To tell you that I’m picking you up around 6.” 

“You couldn’t have texted it to me?” Chanyeol’s question comes out harsher than he wanted it to, but he can’t blame himself after all the gossip Songhee just dumped on him. 

“Jeez, what’s gotten you all grumpy.” 

Chanyeol straightens up and remembers who he’s talking to. He won’t cause a scene at work. But he so desperately wants to call this dinner off and do something more casual. Where the prying eyes of the public won’t be a problem. 

“N-nothing,” Chanyeol hesitates. “6 sounds great. I’ll see you then.” 

As soon as he hangs up his phone, Chanyeol is back to sorting with Songhee. This time, he keeps quiet -- afraid of whatever else she has up her sleeve. While both of them aimlessly sort in silence, the lingering thought of Haejin gets caught in this thoughts. That could very well be him one day, rumors could surface that Baekhyun has been hanging around his hair stylist and being extra friendly with him. It could happen in an instant, and when no expects it. It pains Chanyeol to think that his relationship with Baekhyun had so many consequences, and he’s not sure if he wants to stick around to see it through to the end. 

\-- 

Like clockwork, it reaches six, and Chanyeol is glances down at this phone to find that Baekhyun is waiting for him out back. He can’t leave Songhee to work through these by herself, but he also can’t keep Baekhyun waiting any longer. He keeps glancing down at this phone to check that Baekhyun hasn’t gotten impatient. 

“Got somewhere to be Chanyeol?” Songhee questions when he glances down at his phone again. 

“I do” he says apologetically. “But we haven’t finished sorting these yet.” Internally, Chanyeol hopes Songhee will keep him here, but being the angel that she is, she waves him off. “I think I can manage this last box. Don’t worry.” 

Chanyeol leans down to give her a hug and proceeds to grab his bag from his station and make his way to the back entrance of the salon. A black car sits in the alleyway, idle. When Chanyeol makes his way inside, he expects Baekhyun to be mad. Instead, Baekhyun is calm and collected. 

“What took you so long?” Baekhyun asks. His tone is smooth and velvety. 

“I had to finish some things up.” 

“Oh, ok. You ready?” There’s sincerity radiating off of Baekhyun’s words as he reaches over to lace their fingers together. His hands are warm and comforting compared to Chanyeol’s clammy and anxious ones. Chanyeol gives a tender squeeze to Baekhyun’s hand, signaling that he’s ready. 

It’s busy in the city tonight, with people just getting off work. Chanyeol is looking out the window, watching as people pass by. Baekhyun let go of their interlocked fingers somewhere along the way to focus on driving, and Chanyeol can’t help but miss the fingers nestled in his. After a few more minutes of trying to guess where Baekhyun was taking them, a left turn leads them to the base of Lotte World Tower -- the tallest building in Seoul. It’s a tourist attraction, which means there’s bound to be tons of people up there. 

“Lotte Tower?” Chanyeol points to the building, a little confused. 

“Mhm. Top floor to be exact.” Baekhyun gives him a smirk and parks his car in the underground garage, which Chanyeol had no idea existed. 

As they take the elevator up to the main lobby, Chanyeol is still confused as to what’s exactly going on. He knows Baekhyun would never go out in public, so bringing them to one of the most populated places in Seoul kind of throws him off. When the bell rings for their arrival, Chanyeol is surprised to see that they aren’t in the main lobby. They’re in a dark hallway leading to another set of elevators to take them up to the top floor. 

“Right this way,” the worker says, light and cheery. 

Once they’re situated inside the elevator, they stand across from each other, leaning back. LED screens depicting the view of Seoul surround them on all four sides. It’s beautiful and interactive and something Chanyeol has never experienced before. Upbeat music plays in the background as they go higher and higher. Chanyeol sneaks a glance over at Baekhyun, to find that he’s looking back -- amusement filled in his eyes. 

When the elevator slows down to a stop, the worker from before informs them that they are now on the 123rd floor of the building -- reached in less than a minute. The doors open to reveal dark interior with black marble littered throughout the walls and floor -- Chanyeol looks down at his feet to see his own reflection on the marble. A three tiered chandelier hangs in the middle of the room, giving off soft yellow light to match the calming ambiance of the restaurant. Situated in the middle of the room and in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, sits a table for two. But that isn’t what takes Chanyeol’s breath away. The entirety of Seoul can be seen from where their table sits, and that elicits a tiny gasp from Chanyeol’s lips. Every corner of the city is lit with excitement, and the giant buildings from down below, are now tiny and miniscule. Chanyeol can see as far as the city line into Gangwon-do. 

“Pretty amazing, huh?” 

“More than amazing. This is unreal.” 

“I’ve always wanted to come up here. To see what it was like.” 

“It’s beautiful.” Chanyeol says while still admiring the view outside. 

Just then, Baekhyun settles in next to Chanyeol in front of the window. The intensity coming from the lights below bounce of their skin like a healthy glow. Chanyeol can see out of the corner of his eye that Baekhyun is now facing him. He doesn’t turn to meet his eyes -- afraid of the blush that’s threatening to soak up his face. He hears Baekhyun say “Yeah, it is” as well as the way his words remain lingering between the two of them. Chanyeol feels shy all of a sudden, but he doesn’t let it show -- his stoic face looking out the window threatening to break. 

After what felt like hours staring out the window, both of them finally settle down at the table set up for them. It’s draped in a white table cloth, topped with expensive silverware and decorative napkins. Chanyeol feels how expensive it looks -- having gotten used to seeing self serve chopsticks and spoons. Their waiter comes by to give them the wine list along with the menu. The leather bound book sits heavy in front of Chanyeol while Baekhyun browses through the wine selection. 

“Is there a specific type of wine you like to drink?” Baekhyun asks from behind the menu. 

This is the time for Chanyeol to spit out some kind of knowledge about wine and impress Baekhyun with his impeccable taste, but Chanyeol knows nothing about wine -- only that it comes in red and white. He shakes his head at Baekhyun and grabs for his menu out of embarrassment. Chanyeol feels so out of place here. It’s not that he’s never been to a nice restaurant before, but it’s not exactly something he does often either. On top of that, the one who brought him here just happens to be the man he has sex with every so often with no strings attached. To say that this whole situation confuses Chanyeol would be an understatement. 

There’s not much to choose from on the menu because, true to Korean cuisine, it comes out in courses. When Chanyeol catches sight of the prices though, his mouth suddenly goes dry. 

“Do you know what you want yet?” 

“I think I’ll just stick with water,” Chanyeol jokes. 

Baekhyun looks up from his menu to flash Chanyeol a ‘you’re joking right’ smile. “Get whatever you want. It’s my treat.” 

“I’ll just... get whatever you get.” Baekhyun ponders over the menu one last time before signaling the waiter. 

“We’ll have the ‘Long Liberty’ course, with extra blue crab, along with the Sommelier’s Recommendation for wine.” Chanyeol stares in awe at how classy Baekhyun is. He’s only ever been with the man in bed, so seeing him smoothly maneuver his way around a high class dining menu kind of turns him on. Chanyeol also makes a mental note to control his libido. 

The waiter proceeds to take their menus away and come back with two crisp wine glasses. “For the cabernet. To go with the appetizers,” the waiter explains. A bottle of wine is presented to them along with a plate of freshly marinated abalone and mushrooms. The sound of pouring wine is like music to Chanyeol’s ears; he’d been waiting to have a glass ever since he walked into the restaurant. Baekhyun raises his glass in a toast -- the sharp clink of their glasses ringing throughout the room. 

“So, you’re probably wondering why I brought you here,” Baekhyun says while toying with the stem of his wine glass. 

Oh thank god. Chanyeol was going to wait until he had at least three glasses of wine in his system before asking Baekhyun why he had brought them here, but when the smaller man beat him to it, his anxiety eases down slowly. 

“I’m going to be in Japan for the next three weeks, and rather than just telling you last minute, I wanted to properly say goodbye. For now.” 

“You thought taking me up to Lotte World Tower would be a proper way to say goodbye?” Chanyeol grabs for the abalone in front of them, trying not make himself too obvious over the fact that he’s super excited to try it. 

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” Baekhyun says. “I guess I was just really curious what it was like up here.” Baekhyun doesn’t speak to Chanyeol directly. Instead, his view is fixated on the city below. Chanyeol notices Baekhyun’s face turn somber. 

“Is everything ok?” 

“Yes, sorry. Just- I’m gonna miss Korea that’s all” Baekhyun mumbles, looking down at his wine glass. 

“I doubt this is your first time being away from home for three weeks.” 

“It’s not...I guess I just have a lot to miss this time around.” 

Baekhyun’s words linger between them again, like it had when they first walked in. Chanyeol can’t make out if Baekhyun means to leave his words in the air, or if he’s purposely being vague to put up a front. Chanyeol doesn’t get a chance to ask -- interrupted when their food comes out. 

The waiter expertly points at each dish to properly explain what’s what. “Here, we have the blackthroat seaperch marinated in sweet makgeolli, over here, is the blue crab steamed with sea salt and mint leaves, and finally, the striploin beef topped with our signature sauce.” 

As soon as the waiter is out of sight, Chanyeol really admires the food in front of him. The plating is art in and of itself and it almost makes Chanyeol not want to eat it. 

_Almost._

“Oh my god,” Chanyeol gushes. “This is amazing” 

He see’s Baekhyun closing his eyes to savor the taste. “Wow” 

After the initial shock of how good the food is, both of them settle into a comfortable silence for the rest of their meal. The sound of their silverware is the only thing going back and forth between them. 

“Did you hear about Haejin noona?” Chanyeol asks, breaking the silence. 

He can tell by the Baekhyun twists his mouth that he doesn’t want to talk about it, but bites his tongue anyway and says “Yeah, I did. Where did you hear about that?” 

“Songhee told me.” 

“Atch” Baekhyun spits out. “She needs to learn to keep her mouth shut.” 

Curiosity gets the better of Chanyeol. “Why? Was I not supposed to know?” 

“No. But people don’t even know the whole story.” 

“What _is_ the whole story?” 

“It’s just rumors,” Baekhyun scoffs. “Baseless rumors.” 

Chanyeol stares down at his plate of food like he’s just been scolded by his mother. He didn’t expect Baekhyun to get so worked up about the whole thing. He thought Baekhyun would at least take some pity on Haejin. In the back of his mind, Chanyeol wants to express his worries, about them, but something in the air tells him it’s not the time. So, he takes a big gulp of his wine and pretends there’s nothing on his mind. 

By the time their plates are cleared and Chanyeol is on his fourth glass of wine, he feels emboldened. He’s sure the warmth of his cheeks can be seen clearly, but he doesn’t care, and Baekhyun hasn’t made any attempts to tease him about it. The room feels hot all of a sudden, but by the way Baekhyun sits with his coat bundled close, Chanyeol knows it’s just him. His earlier thoughts about expressing his worries creeps up in the back of his brain. He’s going to talk to Baekhyun about it, and with the help of his wine, he’ll be ready to take whatever the man says. 

“I’ve been thinking…” Chanyeol trials off, suddenly disheartened at the sound of his shaky voice. 

“About?” Baekhyun leans his elbows on the table with his wine glass in between, eager. 

“What happened to Haejin noona.” 

“And what about Haejin noona?” Baekhyun’s tone has gone slightly stern which makes Chanyeol cower. However, those feelings soon fade as Chanyeol takes another sip of his wine -- feeling confident again. 

“That what happened to her c-” 

“Could happen to us?” Baekhyun pipes in. “Of course not. I would never let false rumors ruin our friendship.” 

_Friends. Friends. Friends._

That word keeps ringing in Chanyeol’s head. He’s feeling ice cold now, not being able to feel the warmth of his cheeks any longer. No amount of wine could help Chanyeol with what he’s feeling now. A dagger through the heart. A stab in his back. It’s all the same to Chanyeol because all he’ll _ever_ be to Baekhyun is a friend. 

“So...are you going to miss me when I’m gone?” It seems that Baekhyun hasn’t noticed the shift in Chanyeol’s demeanor. The change in subject indicates Baekhyun wants to move on. His teasing tone goes in one ear and dissolves in the pit of Chanyeol’s stomach -- anger boiling once again. It’s all he seems to feel nowadays whenever he’s with Baekhyun. Anger. That’s the only way Chanyeol knows how to deal with his feelings. He’d rather be angry then tell Baekhyun the truth. Why? He’s not sure himself, but it might have to do with the fact the Baekhyun won’t feel the same way, and that breaks his heart. So, he settles for anger and channels all his inner pettiness into his response while subsequently giving Baekhyun exactly what he wants. 

“That depends.” Chanyeol leans forward on the table, abandoning his wine glass. “If I say yes will it get me dessert?” 

Baekhyun lets out a hearty laugh that echoes throughout the restaurant. He’s back a few seconds later, not missing a beat. “Oh, it’ll get you more than dessert.” The mood has gone dark and filled with desire. 

“Then yes. I’ll miss you.” It’s witty and flirty and seductive. It’s the perfect combination for what Chanyeol has in mind. He’ll rile Baekhyun up to the point of no return, then he’ll push him off the edge. 

After all, it’s what he deserves. 

For dessert comes dried persimmons with chestnut stuffing paired with fresh yellow peach ice cream. It’s a perfect ending to their meal, and by the looks of it, Baekhyun couldn’t wait to get out of there. 

“Mm dessert was great. Wanna get out of here?” Baekhyun makes no attempt to try and hide his eagerness, which has Chanyeol snickering into his ice cream. 

_Bingo._

“But you haven’t even touched the persimmons” Chanyeol chuckles. 

Watching Baekhyun squirm ignites something in Chanyeol. For the past six months, he’d been in the palm of Baekhyun hands. Tonight, Chanyeol will turn the tables. 

“I did. They were great.” Baekhyun raises his arm to get the waiter’s attention. “Can we please get the check? Thank you.” 

Chanyeol kind of feels bad knowing he’s going to deny Baekhyun before the night is over. And in all honesty, Baekhyun isn’t the only one who’s feeling the heat. Chanyeol hears his heart beat pick up knowing that he’s the one who made Baekhyun like this. 

“You finished with that?” Baekhyun points to Chanyeol’s ice cream, in which, he is far from finishing. 

Thinking he’s tortured Baekhyun enough, Chanyeol sets down his spoon and readies himself to leave. They are now standing shoulder to shoulder in the elevator, contrary to their opposite walls from before. Chanyeol can feel tiny fingers nudging the side of his hand as they brush along the inside of his palm. It sends all of Chanyeol’s blood rushing south, and he does everything in his power to try and imagine his mom in a unicorn costume. Anything that will convince him to not give in. 

Once at the underground garage, Chanyeol can’t help but notice how fast Baekhyun’s walking to get to his car. “Slow down.” 

Baekhyun ignores him to pick up his pace. 

The loud roar of the engine coming to life startles Chanyeol. Baekhyun expertly pulls his car out from the garage and into the city streets. They aren’t far from Cheongdam, which is where Chanyeol assumes they’re going by the looks of where the car is headed. Chanyeol takes this opportunity to execute his plan of attack. 

“Where are we going?” Chanyeol asks, playing dumb. 

“My place.” 

“I have work tomorrow,” he lies. 

“Tomorrow’s Sunday.” 

There’s a smirk and Chanyeol’s face. “And I have work.” 

“Are you serious?” Chanyeol doesn’t reply, just waits for Baekhyun’s next attempt. “Are you free after work? I leave early on Monday.” 

“I’ll see what I can do.” 

“So...drop you off at your place?” 

Chanyeol nods and internally pats himself on the back for not caving in. Although, he might have to take off his coat and tie it around his front before exiting the car. 

As the car stops in front of Chanyeol’s apartment building, he makes a beeline for the door when a hand grabs his wrist. “Wait. Before you go…” Words are lost as Baekhyun leans over the console to kiss Chanyeol. It’s the same kind of kiss they shared the night before. The one like a woman sending her husband off to work. Except, Chanyeol is not Baekhyun’s husband, he’s not Baekhyun’s anything, he’s just a measly old friend. 

That thought prompts Chanyeol to pull away and step out of the car. He turns back to lean down and thank Baekhyun for dinner. Once the door is shut, Chanyeol is faced with the decision of whether or not he’ll call Baekhyun before he leaves for Japan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: I've been to the restaurant mentioned in this chapter and it's not on the top floor but it's on the 81st floor of the building.
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> Some of you have been asking me if I have any social media, but unfortunately, I only have personal social media.
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> I did make a curious cat though 
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> curious cat @bleuhouse1 
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> Kudos, comments, and constructive criticism is always welcome. 
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> Let me know what you guys think!
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> Enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4 (I)

Lazy Sundays are the best, according to Chanyeol. Staying in and not having to worry about anything for an entire day really is very healing. Waking up at noon and not having to bother changing out of pajamas is Chanyeol’s favorite. Also, this amount of lazing around makes Chanyeol hungry, so of course, he orders take out for two. Tonight, he’s having a steaming bowl of ramen (which he made himself) with rows and rows of boiled pork belly that he ordered from the sweet ahjumma down the street. This combination reminds Chanyeol of his childhood and how, after school, he’d come home to his mom making the best boiled pork belly he’s ever tasted. He would often pester his mom to make him ramen, but he remembers her always telling him how bad it is for his health. But on good days, when Chanyeol would ask his mom to make ramen, she would make it for him just the way he liked -- with egg and slightly chewy noodles. 

Ever since Chanyeol moved out to Seoul, he hasn’t gotten many chances to eat his mom’s food, and times like these, when he’s all alone in his apartment, he gets this feeling of nostalgia that comes in waves. 

As Chanyeol finishes his meal, and right before he’s flipping the TV on to watch his favorite program (Running Man), comes a call from Baekhyun. He stares down at his phone, hesitant. Chanyeol wants to answer so badly, but he remembers the little pep talk he had with himself in the bathroom this morning. He had gotten up at the crack of dawn to use the toilet, when he caught himself in the mirror. Barely awake and filled with urine, Chanyeol pointed to his reflection and reminded himself that he will no longer be a pushover when it comes to Baekhyun. After a few more minutes of giving himself a lecture, and checking out his physic, Chanyeol finally got around to actually using the toilet and then flopping back into bed. 

Now, as his phone keeps buzzing, Chanyeol tosses the device onto his couch, and waits. He waits for the second call to come around, so he can reject it again. Stern, bathroom mirror Chanyeol told himself this morning that he would be the one calling Baekhyun to meet tonight, not the other way around. And just as Chanyeol predicted, Baekhyun calls again. Chanyeol doesn’t need to check his phone to know who it is. In the back of his mind, Chanyeol knows he’ll eventually have to call Baekhyun, and that eats away at his brain. 

Three more calls, and after Chanyeol has finished watching his TV show, he finally makes the decision to call Baekhyun back. He taps his fingers on his knee out of nervousness. 

“Hey Chanyeol” Baekhyun’s voice is deep and scruffy, like he just woke up. “Finished with work?” 

He looks around at himself and sees what an unproductive day he’s had. All he did today was eat and watch TV. “Yeah, I just got home.” 

“Hm wanna come over?” Chanyeol pulls his phone away from his ear and rolls his eyes. He doesn’t know why that annoys him so much. Chanyeol had never gone to work today, but the thought of Baekhyun not even throwing a ‘how was work?’ his way is enough to get him bothered. All Chanyeol gets is a straight forward invitation for sex. That’s what their friends with benefits, butt buddy, sex partner arrangement has come to. 

But, no. Today is the day Chanyeol finally puts his foot down. It’s his way or the highway tonight, whether Baekhyun likes it or not. 

Judging by the way Baekhyun had answered the phone like the he just woke up, Chanyeol takes that to his advantage and runs with it. “Were you sleeping?” 

A clearing of the throat sounds on the other side, followed by a quick “No.” 

It’s one thing to catch Baekhyun answering the phone when he just woke up, but it’s something completely different to catch Baekhyun trying to -- cutely-- convince Chanyeol from the truth. 

“You should go back to sleep,” Chanyeol teases. “You have an early start tomorrow.” 

“I wasn’t sleeping,” Baekhyun reiterates. “Just took a little rest after packing, that’s all.” 

Chanyeol pulls his phone away from his ear for a second time and covers the speaker with his hand. He flops down on his couch and buries his face into the seat from how cute Baekhyun is being,. It’s funny how Baekhyun thinks Chanyeol doesn’t see right through him. “But you’re tired. You need to sleep.” 

“I wasn’t sleeping,” Baekhyun snaps. “You coming over or not?” 

Chanyeol chuckles into the phone. “Are you sure? You sound tired.” 

“Why are you being so difficult?” Baekhyun whines. The feeling of butterflies invades Chanyeol’s stomach and makes his heart ache. Can he ever deny this man? 

Real life Chanyeol is satisfied with the outcome, but bathroom mirror Chanyeol still has unfinished business he needs to take care of. “Don’t worry. I’ll be there.” 

\-- 

When Baekhyun answers the door in his matching silk pajamas, Chanyeol knows for certain that Baekhyun had been sleeping. He makes sure to let Baekhyun know. “So you were sleeping.” 

The smaller man makes his way to wrap his arms around Chanyeol. “It’s not my fault it took you like a million years to answer your phone.” Baekhyun mumbles into Chanyeol’s chest. 

“Well, I’m here now.” Chanyeol smiles down at Baekhyun, swiping hair away from the smaller man’s eyes. 

No further words are exchanged as both of them make their way to Baekhyun’s bedroom. The only thing that is exchanged is the warmth coming from each other’s hands as Baekhyun leads Chanyeol like a lost preschooler. They stand at the edge of the bed, staring at each other. This scene is oddly familiar. It’s a silent question between the both of them -- asking if this is really ok. Almost every time Chanyeol finds himself in Baekhyun’s room, they look at each other, asking. 

Chanyeol doesn’t know how long they stand there, but eventually, it becomes too much -- too intimate. So, he takes a step forward and brings his hands up to undo the buttons on Baekhyun’s shirt. They haven’t touched yet, but Chanyeol knows just how desperate Baekhyun is by the way his eyes refuse to leave Chanyeol’s lips. 

Once Chanyeol reaches the last button, he slips a hand inside -- rounding Baekhyun’s shoulders, to slide the fabric away. It lands with a few clicks as the hard, plastic buttons make contact with the wood floor. Baekhyun’s pale, milky skin seems to glow in the dimly lit room, and Chanyeol does everything in his power not to suck the junction between Baekhyun’s neck and collarbone. 

He won’t lose control. 

Now, it’s Baekhyun’s turn to reach for the hem of Chanyeol’s sweater. He flattens his palms against Chanyeol’s stomach, sliding up as he lifts the sweater up and off. Both of them are now shirtless, with their hands at their sides. A small grin breaks out on Chanyeol’s face, exposing his perfect row of teeth. Baekhyun looks back at him with the same silly grin. “I feel like a school kid.” Chanyeol jokes. 

“If only we met when we were _actually_ school kids,” Baekhyun smiles. “Things would have been easier.” 

Chanyeol sits down on the edge of the bed, to which Baekhyun takes as a signal to sit across his lap. They are now face to face, with Baekhyun’s knees on either side of Chanyeol’s waist. It’s intimate again, and Chanyeol doesn’t know how much longer he can take it before he completely gives into his giddy state. Chanyeol replies back with “I would have been the good looking one” and places his hands on Baekhyun’s hips. He notices how naturally his hands fit in the spaces against Baekhyun’s body, and wonders how the man on top of him hasn’t figured it out yet -- figured out how perfect Chanyeol is for him. Even as Chanyeol draws patterns along Baekhyun’s smooth back, and how Baekhyun returns Chanyeol’s look of adoration, he still wonders how the smaller man hasn’t figured out that this is _more_ than just friends. 

“I agree.” Baekhyun smiles down at Chanyeol. One that turns his eyes into little crescents and makes the corners of his lips scrunch. “And I’d be the nerdy little kid who hit the jackpot.” 

Chanyeol quirks an eyebrow in confusion. “You a nerd? Never.” 

“Shut up. I studied a lot in school.” Baekhyun pushes Chanyeol back on the bed. The two of them fall into a fit of laughter, but the atmosphere soon turns heated as Baekhyun leans down to finally capture Chanyeol’s lips. They’ve kissed hundreds of times in the past six months, and the one they’re sharing now, feels the same, but the bitter aftertaste left behind is what prompts Chanyeol to bite down on Baekhyun’s lower lip -- licking inside in an attempt to rid of whatever imaginary taste Chanyeol feels invading his mouth. 

It shouldn’t be like this. It shouldn’t _feel_ like this. Chanyeol should be revelling with how Baekhyun lies above him grinding his hips ever so slightly while kissing the spot right behind his ear and panting heavily with how affected he is. Chanyeol should be moaning at the way Baekhyun makes his way down his chest while leaving open mouthed kisses along his sternum and licking a nipple along the way. His eyes should be rolling to the back of his head when Baekhyun does that thing with his mouth right above his hip bones -- which _always_ gets a reaction from him. But tonight, as Baekhyun takes his usual route on Chanyeol’s body, there is no flame and Baekhyun notices. 

“Hey, you good?” Baekhyun asks looking up from where he’s taken spot by Chanyeol’s crotch, giving his upper thigh comforting squeezes. 

No, he’s not good. Chanyeol doesn’t have the heart to look down and see the worry spreading on Baekhyun’s face. It’s embarrassing to be lying there, with the nation’s top idol in between his legs, and not feel anything. He knows he has to say something and make it convincing or else the sex won’t feel the same. “I’m good.” Chanyeol stares up at the ceiling, like he’s looking up into the sky -- imagining shapes in the lines scattered above.. 

Chanyeol hears rather than feels Baekhyun crawl back up to meet his gaze. The minute Chanyeol locks eyes with the idol, he knows he wasn’t convincing enough. Panic starts to settle in, and he’s racking his brain for any excuse to placate the smaller man. He has a general idea of what he’s going to say, but his thoughts get interrupted when Baekhyun says “You’re thinking about me as a nerd with big round glasses, aren’t you?” The corner of the smaller man’s mouth lifts up into a suggestive grin, and Chanyeol has to take a minute to process what just happened. Out of all the things he expected Baekhyun to say in that moment, that was not it. Chanyeol was ready to pick his shirt back up and leave it at that, but apparently Baekhyun has no plan to stop what they were doing. 

“Y-yeah...I was.” Chanyeol’s voice comes out a little shaky, mentally hating his voice for betraying him. 

“Pervert” Baekhyun teases. 

There’s a hint of hesitation in the air when Baekhyun trails his lips along Chanyeol’s jaw. What was once the outcome of fire and passion, turned into subtle and shy. Soft kisses are placed one by one down the column of skin connecting the dip of Chanyeol’s shoulder and the swell of his collarbones. 

Perhaps what he said wasn’t convincing enough and that’s why Baekhyun is sitting atop him patiently waiting for Chanyeol to give the green light to proceed. Baekhyun’s making sure this is ok, like all the other times they’ve had sex in his apartment. Which makes Chanyeol think he’s not the only one who doesn’t want to mess things up. 

Slowly, Chanyeol wraps his arms around Baekhyun’s waist, silently letting the man know, that everything’s ok. Caution is thrown to the wind, when Baekhyun pushes Chanyeol back on the bed like before. This time, as Baekhyun mouths along the expanse of Chanyeol’s broad chest, heat starts to pool in the pit of his stomach. A particularly sensual drag of lips alongside Chanyeol’s lower belly has him keening at the touch. It’s like Baekhyun charmed the air around them, or Baekhyun himself is the potion. Because whatever was lacking previously, multiplied by a hundred in this exact moment. Their chemistry whenever they come together like this rivals even the strongest of concoctions. 

Maybe Chanyeol is addicted to the sex, which makes him think this is love. Maybe both of them are too addicted to the sex to make out their feelings for real. But one thing was for certain, Chanyeol never wanted this to end. 

“Take off your sweats.” Chanyeol feels the lust spilling from Baekhyun’s lips as they pant into each other’s mouths -- pleading. It’s an innocent command, with no conviction whatsoever. Part of what makes Chanyeol comply is the fact that he’s equally wanting. But before he can get a grip and pull his sweats down, Baekhyun’s hand has already slipped past the waistband. 

“No underwear? This is new,” Baekhyun grins. “I like it.” 

Situated between Chanyeol’s legs, Baekhyun rounds his hands across Chanyeol’s ass and gives his cheeks a light squeeze before he has the fabric pooled around the taller’s feet. As soon as the sweats are off and flung somewhere on the floor, Baekhyun lifts a leg and brings it up to his mouth to trial light pecks along the ankle. Once he reaches Chanyeol’s shin, his kisses become bold and open mouthed. By the time Baekhyun has made it to the upper thigh, he sucks supple skin into his mouth while kneading Chanyeol’s other thigh with his free hand. 

This leaves Chanyeol a moaning mess with the back of his head pressed hard against pillows and back arched high exposing his toned chest. He opens his eyes to find Baekhyun looking right back at him -- focused. Chanyeol closes his eyes again and leaves his mouth hanging wide open when Baekhyun goes higher with his kisses until he’s face to face with Chanyeol’s hard cock. 

Within seconds, Chanyeol feels warmth surrounding him coupled with a hot tongue. His brain is going haywire from the stimulation, and the words he formed in his brain don’t quite make it down to this lips. He opens his eyes again to find Baekhyun’s head and thread his fingers through the idol’s locks. Chanyeol pushes down on the smaller man’s head -- eager to get more of the heat on his cock. “Baek- stop” Chanyeol chokes out. He’s desperately trying to fight his orgasm off so he can flip Baekhyun over and have his way with him. 

Baekhyun pulls off with a loud pop and a satisfied smile on his face -- lips pink and swollen from all the sucking. “Were you close?” 

“Yes,” Chanyeol sighs. “I want my turn now.” 

“Don’t worry,” Baekhyun reassures while making his way down to take Chanyeol’s dick back into his mouth. “You’ll get your turn.” He stops, just inches away from Chanyeol’s aching member, to admire the specimen before his eyes. Chanyeol can feel Baekhyun’s hot breath around his cock and he fights off the urge to buck his hips and put the singer’s mouth back on him. 

Once the smaller man has the head positioned right in front of his mouth, Chanyeol groans out loud from the lack of warmth on his cock. He needs Baekhyun to do _something_ or else he feels like he’ll pass out from the anticipation. Finally, he feels Baekhyun’s mouth on him again, taking him all in one go. It’s been a while since they’ve engaged in this much foreplay. Usually, they’d be going at it by now, but the atmosphere felt different the moment Chanyeol walked into the apartment. Being the ever compliant man that he is, he just goes with it, like always. 

A sharp shoot of pleasure rips through Chanyeol’s spine which has him arching his back off the mattress. His hands have settled in Baekhyun’s hair while simultaneously pushing his head down for more. Chanyeol doesn’t know how much longer he can last with Baekhyun adding his tongue into the mix -- licking the underside of his now aching member. To say that this is the best blowjob he’s ever gotten would be a lie, but it ties for first place. Then again, Chanyeol hasn’t been with enough guys to compare blowjobs. 

Speaking of blowjobs, Chanyeol needs Baekhyun to stop or else he’ll come and the moment will be lost forever. And, he doesn’t want to be the only one getting off. So, he reaches down to pull Baekhyun off his dick and bring him up to meet his gaze. Chanyeol flips both of them over so their noses are barely touching. It’s those droopy eyes that get Chanyeol every time they look at each other like this. Is it possible to be in love with someone’s eyes? 

Their breaths are labored as Chanyeol kisses down the column of Baekhyun’s neck and trails his way down the man’s chest. This familiar taste of smooth, salty skin reminds Chanyeol just how much he’s gone through. How much he’s given up for the man underneath him. It’s a drug Chanyeol never wants to quit, and as he nears the waistband of the idol’s pajama bottoms, Chanyeol almost forgets where he is. An intoxicating scent that is uniquely Baekhyun’s fills his nostrils in just the right amount. Pale legs contrast deeply with the dark purple sheets, and Chanyeol swears they shine in the dusky room. He leans down to trail feather light kisses down the inside of a thigh. The soft flesh in Chanyeol’s hand feels cold, but soon warms it up with the heat of his mouth. Baekhyun moans from above making liquid courage flow through Chanyeol’s veins. 

He moves higher up to make contact with Baekhyun’s cock, but deftly avoids it and lands his mouth on a hip bone -- sucking hard to relieve some frustrations. Chanyeol hopes it doesn’t leave a mark come tomorrow. That would be bad because then it would be a constant reminder for the both of them that what they have isn’t real. The thought makes Chanyeol retreat from the singer’s hips and make his way back up. In all his pent up anger and frustrations toward Baekhyun, Chanyeol can’t seem to mind them at the moment because all he wants to do is kiss the man breathless. He wants to take Baekhyun’s lips and make them his own. Chanyeol grabs Baekhyun’s face with one hand and crashes their lips together. The initial contact is painful -- with their teeth clashing. But Chanyeol doesn’t feel any of it -- too lost in the taste of Baekhyun to care. He slips his tongue in between Baekhyun’s lips and all he can hear is garbled moans and loud suckles. How Chanyeol ever lived without these lips? He doesn’t know, but he has them now, and he wants to make the most of it. 

They’re now lying on their sides while continuing the assault on each other’s lips. This is enough for Chanyeol, but he knows this isn’t what Baekhyun invited him over for. So, he moves closer, tangling their legs together, and smooths his hand across the small of Baekhyun’s back -- dangerously bordering along his ass. “Get the lube,” Baekhyun says. On autopilot, Chanyeol breaks away from their heated embrace and climbs over Baekhyun to rummage around in the nightstand. 

“You’re out of condoms,” Chanyeol says, looking down into the drawer and seeing nothing but bottles of lube. 

Baekhyun quickly turns to look in the drawer to find that there is indeed no condoms. _“Shit,”_ Baekhyun hisses out. “I knew I should have asked my manager to buy some earlier. _Fuck.”_

Deep down, Chanyeol feels some sort of relief mixed with triumph. The plan with himself in the bathroom mirror this morning was to leave Baekhyun wanting more. Though he could never outright deny the man, things worked out in his favor tonight. No condoms means no sex, and no sex means Baekhyun turns into a wanting mess for the next three weeks. But with triumph comes consequences. Who knows who Baekhyun might find in Japan to hook up with. Who knows if that person he seeks out, turns into something more. It’s a reality Chanyeol can’t come to face which makes him curl in on himself again. Sometimes he forgets who Baekhyun is. He forgets that Baekhyun is a multi-platinum artist who happens to be in one of the biggest boy groups to date. Chanyeol also forgets that Baekhyun can have whoever he wants. Baekhyun can have multiple people and not have to pay the price because, well, he’s...him. But what Chanyeol ultimately forgets is that he’s not the only one. 

“It’s ok,” Chanyeol lies. “We can see each other when you get back.” 

Baekhyun turns his head from where he’s got his head on a pillow. “That’s in three weeks” he deadpans. 

“It’ll feel better if we wait?” Chanyeol’s half hearted attempt to make Baekhyun feel better fails the minute it leaves his mouth. 

“We can do other stuff,” Baekhyun suggests, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. “There’s plenty of lube.” 

Chanyeol clams up at Baekhyun’s offer. His onslaught of depression still looms over his head, and even though Baekhyun looks positively tempting on the bed --naked and frustrated-- Chanyeol can’t bring himself to get back to what they started. “I don’t know. The mood kind of got lost…” 

Baekhyun lets out a long sigh and stares up at the ceiling. “Can we at least make out some more?” 

He doesn’t know what to say. A few months ago, when they had first started meeting regularly, Chanyeol would be able to feel nothing and proceed with no emotions, but as time passes, he finds himself extinguishing his own fire whenever he has these saddening thoughts of his pathetic love story. So, no, he can’t continue making out with Baekhyun, he really can’t. But some selfish part of his ego takes over and coaxes him into giving in. Without saying a word, Chanyeol leans down and captures Baekhyun’s lips again. It’s like Chanyeol doesn’t have control of his body anymore. His brain tells him one thing while his body moves on its own accord. He doesn’t know what to listen to anymore. 

Both of them lie there, with Chanyeol hovering over Baekhyun while their lips tangle in a heated embrace. Baekhyun bites down on Chanyeol’s lower lip and takes whatever he can, exploring and deepening the kiss. It hurts, not in a physical way, but in an emotional way where bitter feelings settle in and can’t seem to find its way out. Chanyeol accidentally finds himself in between Baekhyun’s legs, which prompts the smaller man to lift his hips up to grind against Chanyeol. The friction is not enough to get the both of them off, but it seems to be doing the trick for Baekhyun as he throws his head back against the pillow with his mouth agape -- moaning out his pleasure. Normally, this wouldn’t be enough for either of them, and by seeing Baekhyun so worked up over something that never gave him pleasure before, floods depressing thoughts into Chanyeol’s mind once again. He imagines Baekhyun thinking of someone else while the two of them are together. Maybe this other person isn’t as available as Chanyeol is, and that’s why Baekhyun’s always so desperate for sex. 

There’s streaks of white coating both of their chests, and Chanyeol looks down to find that Baekhyun has come. “I’m gonna miss this” Baekhyun mumbles in Chanyeol’s neck. _‘Miss me? Or miss the sex?’_ Chanyeol thinks. He doesn’t say it out loud -- afraid of the repercussions that could follow. The quiet of the room is suffocating Chanyeol, along with the body heat radiating off of the man next to him. 

“Well, I better get going” Chanyeol states as he sits himself up. “You have a long day tomorrow.” 

He stands from the bed and stares down at his discarded clothes on the floor. From the looks of it, their thrown clothes scream passion, but as Chanyeol looks back at Baekhyun, all he feels is contempt. Maybe these three weeks are good for the both of them. It’ll give them time (Chanyeol time) to think through their relationship and decide once and for all if it’s worth it or not. Maybe Chanyeol might even get over Baekhyun, who knows. 

“I’ll see you in three weeks,” Baekhyun weakly signals from the bed. 

Yeah, Chanyeol definitely needs to get over Baekhyun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anything, No Glove=No Love  
> First, thank you all SO much for leaving such lovely comments and loving this story.  
> Second, this chapter has two parts because all the ideas I had for this chapter were too long, so I decided to break it up.  
> It's safe to say that this chapter is a filler for what's to come next. There will be more drama in the second part so please wait for that!  
> Also, this chapter was kind of rushed because I just wanted to get this part out of the way so I can get to the real stuff lol  
> As always, let me know what you guys think!  
> Enjoy!  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bleuhouse1) [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/bleuhouse1)


	5. Chapter 4 (II)

“You can’t keep letting him do this to you.”  


“Can’t keep letting him do what?” Chanyeol asks as he reaches over to grab a piece of meat off the grill. He’s meeting with his friend Taewoo, aka Kasper, tonight to catch up with each other, but mostly to eat and forget about their problems. With two bottles of soju already down, they turn their focus on actually eating meat before they really start getting drunk on an empty stomach.  


“Whatever’s making you act like a kicked puppy every five seconds. That.”  


“It’s not that simple.”  


“What do you mean it’s not that simple?” Kasper motions with metal tongs still in his hand. “Stop letting him walk all over you like that.”  


“I’m not.”  


“Oh please, like he hasn’t called you up at three in the morning begging you to come over.” Chanyeol looks down at his plate. “He has you wrapped around his thin little fingers, my friend.”  


He’s known Taewoo for about two years now. Baekhyun had introduced them one night over steaming bowls of oxtail soup. Since the three of them share the same age, it didn’t take long for them to be fully acquainted. Of course, that was before Taewoo’s dance career took off and before Baekhyun had to leave the country every two days for a concert. It was also a time before Baekhyun and Chanyeol had silently agreed to their little arrangement. Those are times Chanyeol wishes he could get back; before the harsh downpour of reality settled in. Don’t get him wrong, he wouldn’t trade the life he has now for anything, but little memories like that make Chanyeol cherish the simplicity he once had. But that’s what memories are, right? Moments that can never be brought back-- only remembered.  


Suddenly, the mind-numbing effects of soju lose appeal in Chanyeol’s eyes, so he turns his attention to the sizzling meat in front of him. If he can’t escape this wave of depression, which he seems to be getting a lot of these days, he’ll cope by stuffing his face with subpar meat and regret it the next day.  


“Has he at least given you a sign that he might want something more?”  


Chanyeol stares ahead into the distance trying to rack his brain. He could tell Taewoo about the Lotte World date, or the lingering kisses before they part ways, or Baekhyun’s reluctance whenever Chanyeol grabs for his pants after they’ve finished. He could tell Taewoo about all of that, but he doesn’t because Chanyeol himself isn’t sure what it all means.  


When he doesn’t give an answer, Taewoo places the tongs onto the table and gives Chanyeol a stern look. “Listen, I love the guy, he’s a great friend, but what he’s doing to you isn’t right.” Chanyeol stares at the finger pointed his way. “Get out of this mess before you end up having to clean it up all by yourself. You deserve better than that.”  


With a long sigh, Chanyeol grabs for the bottle of soju in front of him and pours himself a glass. He doesn’t want to drink, he really doesn’t, but Taewoo’s words settle in, and Chanyeol soon finds himself being more pathetic than he thought he was. Having someone else from the outside looking in brings into perspective just how messed up this relationship is. Taewoo’s right. It’s only a matter of time before Baekhyun comes back from Japan, and their vicious cycle will start up again until who knows how long before one of them actually has the guts to end it. Being with Baekhyun, or, more like having sex with Baekhyun, is becoming a chore to Chanyeol in so many ways, but a tiny sliver of his body clings. Clings to the prospect that one-day things will be different; things will be in his favor and Baekhyun will actually come around to his senses. Like in the words of Lady Gaga, “I’ve got about a hundred million reasons to walk away, but baby, I just need one good one to stay.”  


“It’s not that simple,” Chanyeol mutters under his breath. He’s still clutching the bottle in his hand when Taewoo snatches it out of his grasp. Of the six months he’s been seeing Baekhyun, no matter how vulnerable he looked, he didn’t feel it. Now, as Chanyeol sits inside a plastic tent getting drunk on cheap soju with his closest friend, he feels the most stripped down than he’s ever been.  


“Look, I’m not saying you have to cut him off right this instant, but you do need to ease your way out of this. It’s making you miserable.”  


Chanyeol lets out a pitiful chuckle as he grabs for the bottle again. “Easy for you to say.”  


“What?”  


“You’re a famous dancer for christ sake. You can have anyone you want.” Chanyeol says as he zeros in on trying his best not to overfill his glass.  


“What does that have to do with anything?”  


“I’m saying that if I leave Baekhyun, then it’s on to the next one for him. But for me, I’m not famous or talented like you guys. I’ll have nothing.” It takes every ounce of willpower for Chanyeol not to be on the brink of tears. He’s not sure if it’s his overwhelming feelings for Baekhyun, or the stupid soju taking control of his body.  


“So, just because Baekhyun’s famous it gives him the right to act like a jerk 24/7?” Taewoo hurriedly grabs for the tongs and aggressively flips the now burning brisket. “He should be treating you like a goddamn prince with all he’s got. Don’t ever let him make you think you’re anything less!” Taewoo points the tongs in Chanyeol’s direction, flicking chunks of meat everywhere.  


“Hey, are you ok?” Chanyeol asks out of concern at this friend’s sudden tangent.  


Taewoo returns to flipping meat without answering -- almost like he didn’t hear Chanyeol at all. “Hey, Taewoo, is everything alright?”  


“Hm? Oh yeah, just trying to get these burnt pieces off the grill.”  


Of course, Chanyeol doesn’t buy it. “You sure? You look kind of troubled.”  


Admitting defeat, Chanyeol sees the way Taewoo dejectedly sets the tongs down on the table and turns to give him a sincere look. “You know you’re not the only one he’s seeing, right?”  


He knows that, but having someone say it out loud makes it that much more heartbreaking. Never in a million years did Chanyeol think Baekhyun kept to just one person, heck, he’s seen how many condoms the guy goes through just in his car, let alone for just one person. Chanyeol knows all of this, even anticipated it, but why does it feel so much worse now that one of his closest friends is sitting across him telling him the truth he already knew? Then again, anyone could have told Chanyeol about the blatant truth and it would still hurt. Perhaps because it’s Taewoo who’s telling him which makes it hurt even more.  


What is he even supposed to say? ‘Yes, I know he sees other people, but I keep those thoughts pushed back because I’m too in love with him to stand up for myself.’ It’ll make him look like a fool if he says yes, but it’ll also make him fool if he says no. So, either way, he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.  


There’s that vicious cycle again, coming to swallow Chanyeol whole before he even gets a chance to save himself. It sends a flow of regret shooting right down to the pit of his stomach, and suddenly, it’s not the alcohol that’s making him sick anymore. “Y-yeah, I know.”  


It’s a weak attempt at trying to not sound phased, and it sounds pretty convincing in Chanyeol’s ears, but he hopes that it sounds convincing to Taewoo as well.  


“Do you really?” Taewoo asks slightly surprised.  


No, he doesn’t, it’s just a stupid assumption, but saying that he does might get Taewoo to drop the subject, so he goes with it. “Yup.”  


“So, you know about Kaito then, right?”  


That’s it.  


Chanyeol officially wants to smash the green soju bottle he has in his hand down onto the ground and tell his friend that he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care how many men Baekhyun has in different countries because at least he has the decency to keep his other conquests a mystery. Taewoo has no right to tell Chanyeol all about Baekhyun’s various men because it’s really none of his business, nor is it Chanyeol’s. Being kept in the dark, and shut out in complete ignorant bliss is where Chanyeol wants to be. He wants to be oblivious to all things Baekhyun, but Taewoo seems to think otherwise. “No, I don’t know about Kaito.”  


“He’s the reason Baekhyun’s in Japan right now,” Taewoo states as he throws his head back to take a drink. “He’s the son of some record executive in Japan who happened to take a liking toward Baekhyun during Exo’s Japan concerts.”  


Confused and slightly tipsy, Chanyeol squints his eyes. “And why are you telling me this?”  


“Just wanted you to know…”  


“Well, thank you for making me feel shittier about this whole thing.”  


“I’m not trying to make you feel anything Chanyeol. As a friend, I’m letting you know that you deserve better than this.” The air around them is stuffy and people are overcrowding the tent, but the conversation rolls on despite the less than comfortable conditions.  


“I know-- and thank you for worrying about me, but I don’t think I can let go of him that easily.”  


“It’s tough, letting go of someone you love, but you have to know it’s not going to last forever.”  


There it is. The final blow. The words Chanyeol tried so hard to avoid these past six months. He’s a coward for even thinking Baekhyun wanted anything more from him. Chanyeol’s inherent stubbornness is what got him into this mess in first place, and now that someone with a sane mind comes and tells him the truth, he refuses to believe it. But the crazy part about all this is that Chanyeol knows every word that comes out of his friend’s mouth is nothing but the cold, hard truth. All the words he had said to Chanyeol tonight slowly stab their way into every part of his body. He imagines there being five hundred invisible swords sticking out in every direction at the moment. All of them are stuck in Chanyeol’s body until he wakes up and realizes that Baekhyun is just, using him. He needs someone to pull them out before he dies. But the only person Chanyeol thinks is worthy of that honor, is Baekhyun. The person who stuck the swords in him in the first place.  


Chanyeol slumps his head down onto the plastic table. “Why do you have to be right?” he whines.  


“Anyone who knows about your situation would think the same thing.”  


“I have to try and distance myself from him…” Chanyeol trails off looking into the distance.  


Taewoo chuckles at the sight of his friend. “That’s a good start.”  


“He comes back next week.” Chanyeol’s eyes go wide. “What if he wants to see me?”  


“Easy. You tell him you’re busy.”  


“I do have comeback preparations to do…” Which Chanyeol dreads with a passion because then it means early mornings and late nights. But the one perk about working in the industry is all the free food that comes in at the end. Oh, and of course, working with celebrities.  


“Great, then tell him you have music shows.”  


“You think he’ll buy it?” Taewoo gives an affirmative nod.  


The two of them naturally fall into silence --only concentrating on eating the platters of meat they over ordered to avoid paying extra for leaving leftovers. Crowds of people have now emptied out of the tent, leaving Chanyeol and Taewoo and couple other tables filled.  


Three plates full of meat later, they call it a night. Both of them have been drinking, so it’s safe to say that finding a taxi won’t be hard.  


“Your place is on the other side of the river. Come crash at my place.” Chanyeol offers as the taxi he hailed pulls up in front of them. It takes some convincing for Taewoo to finally give and take Chanyeol up on his offer. The ride back to Chanyeol’s place goes by in silence-- the meat and booze finally settling in.  


Once the cab pulls up in front of Chanyeol’s apartment, the two of them head inside to properly relax before the onset of a hangover comes crashing down on them the next morning. Since Chanyeol only has one bedroom in his apartment, he pulls out blankets for Taewoo to use on the couch. It’s not much, but the look on Taewoo’s face signals grateful nonetheless-- saving himself a forty-minute trip to get back to his place. With the blankets settled and Taewoo ready to climb in, Chanyeol turns to glance once more at his friend. “Hey, Taewoo?”  


“Yeah?”  


“Thank you. For being such a good friend.”  


“It’s my job, remember?”  


Chanyeol lets out a hearty chuckle before heading back to his room.  


\--  


It’s been about a week since Baekhyun’s return to Korea, which means Chanyeol has been avoiding calls and texts from Baekhyun for a week. This whole ‘distancing’ thing is exhausting to Chanyeol, especially since people like Baekhyun refuse to quit. That’s a good thing, in some aspects, not giving up, but Chanyeol wishes he could go just one day without having to talk himself out of having a mental breakdown every time Baekhyun sends him a suggestive text. The guy’s gone desperate -- Chanyeol can tell. What started off with simple invitations, have turned into innuendo filled messages aimed directly at Chanyeol’s libido. He’ll never forget the message Baekhyun sent a few nights ago in a grocery store holding a Chinese eggplant and comparing it to his dick. That was the point in which Chanyeol decided he needs to do something about this before Baekhyun sends him more phallic shaped objects.  


At a quarter to midnight on a particularly boring Thursday, Chanyeol looks down at his phone to find another message sent from Baekhyun.  


_hey, can we meet tonight?_

Thinking it’s another one of Baekhyun’s sneaky tactics, Chanyeol tosses his phone aside to avoid further temptation. Then, another sound chimes from his phone.  


_I have something for you._

Chanyeol remembers the advice Taewoo had given him the morning before he left his place: “Don’t pick up until the fifth ring and wait at least an hour before replying to his messages.”  


Curiosity just might kill Chanyeol if he doesn’t find out what exactly Baekhyun has for him. He hopes it’s something worth his while, and not some scheme to get him naked. Though Chanyeol wouldn’t mind getting naked with Baekhyun at the moment, images of Taewoo pop up in his mind, and all desire fades away like fine dust.  


But screw waiting an hour, Chanyeol quickly dispels all of Taewoo’s words and hastily, but cooly, responds to Baekhyun by saying he’s free tonight. He’s not desperate, he’s really not. But when Baekhyun tells him to come meet him at a cafe down in Cheongdam, Chanyeol springs from his spot on the couch and rushes to the bathroom to make himself decently approachable. When Chanyeol sees himself in the bathroom mirror, all he finds is a selfish man staring back -- too caught up with pleasing other people to find the worth within himself.  


An all too familiar feeling bubbles inside Chanyeol’s gut, but he ignores it this time. Instead, he grabs a comb and runs it through his hair -- fully set on accepting whatever happens tonight. If they have sex, so be it. If Baekhyun just wants to have coffee and leave, that’s ok too. All Chanyeol’s really looking forward to is seeing Baekhyun again. To be in the same space as him, breathing the same air. That’s all that matters. Even though that night Chanyeol had with Taewoo keeps flashing in the back of his mind, he tries hard to push it aside because he doesn’t need that right now. Right now, he’s going to see the man he loves, and that’s all he’s willing to accept.  


\--  


The cab ride into Cheongdam would have been a pleasant one if it weren’t for the driver going on about how ride-sharing is threatening to ruin the taxi industry for good. It’s a sad situation, really. Chanyeol finds himself nodding along to the driver’s words, but all he can really think about is Baekhyun. He wonders how much the idol has changed in the weeks he’s been gone, or what he’ll even wear in a place so public like a cafe. Chanyeol smiles to himself in the back seat of the cab, while the driver continues his rant.  


In what felt like hours, Chanyeol finally arrives at the cafe. Looking inside, he can see that there aren’t many people with it being past midnight. But as Chanyeol approaches the entrance, he sees a familiar figure sitting in a corner table. It’s distinctly Baekhyun with his small yet broad stature and oversized hoodie and beanie. Chanyeol thinks he could spot Baekhyun anywhere -- no matter how inconspicuous he looked.  


“You made it.” Baekhyun smiles, standing up to give Chanyeol a hug. “I ordered us Americanos if that’s ok with you.”  


This soft, gentlemanly side of Baekhyun makes Chanyeol shy away with a blush on his face. It sends Chanyeol’s heart fluttering and his stomach flipping with joy. He missed this. “Fine with me” Chanyeol replies, matching Baekhyun’s sweet smile.  


From the looks of it, Baekhyun hadn’t changed much in Chanyeol’s eyes. Aside from the glowing facial features and a more-than-happy smile on the guy’s face, Baekhyun looks more or less the same way he looked the night before he left for Japan.  


“So, what have you been up to these past few weeks?” Baekhyun asks. His tone seems tired, but his demeanor shows the exact opposite. “You’ve been busy with work, haven’t you?”  


Chanyeol can’t tell if Baekhyun’s asking out of genuine curiosity, or for confirmation. “Yeah, a lot of comebacks this month.” It’s a safe answer -- nothing too revealing.  


Only when their drinks arrive, does Chanyeol spot the paper shopping bag on the ground. Baekhyun takes notice of Chanyeol’s gaze and reaches down to grab it. When Baekhyun holds the bag out in from of him, Chanyeol realizes it’s for him. “I got you something,” Baekhyun says as he waits for Chanyeol to take the bag.  


At a loss for words, Chanyeol aimlessly reaches for the bag before he can politely reject. He takes out what looks to be a shoe box from the bag and places it on top of the table. When he opens the box, Chanyeol quickly notices that these aren’t just any shoes. These are the shoes everyone and anyone in the fashion industry have been waiting for -- a collaboration of epic proportions.  


“No way.” Chanyeol smooths his hands over the fine lines of the shoes, admiring and silently praising the beauty of the contrast in colors and built-in design. He’s memorized the shoe from the dozens of sites he’s searched, but having them in front of him feels like dream. “These aren’t supposed to be released until the spring.”  


“I know a guy...” Baekhyun teases from across the table. With his chin resting on one hand, Baekhyun smiles proudly at Chanyeol while he fawns over his gift.  


“I can’t accept these.”  


The smile disappears from Baekhyun’s face. “Of course you can. I’m giving them to you.”  


“Really, I can’t. This is too much.”  


“I _want_ to give them to you. It’s not too much.”  


After a few more minutes of Chanyeol outright refusing to accept Baekhyun’s gift, the smaller somehow convinces Chanyeol to keep the shoes by the time they finished their drinks -- claiming it’s a “small gift”  


Once out of the cafe and after a string of thank you's from Chanyeol, it’s just the two of them in the underground parking garage. They walk up to Baekhyun’s sleek Audi in the corner. When Chanyeol reaches for the door handle, Baekhyun quickly corners the taller man up against the car -- dropping the shopping bag. Urgent lips make contact with Chanyeol’s neck -- leaving wet trails in its wake. Is Baekhyun really trying to start something in the middle of this parking garage? With cameras?  


“Aren’t you going to _properly_ thank me for the gift I got you?” Baekhyun pants against Chanyeol’s neck.  


Chanyeol’s eyes go wide and the sound of his heart thumps in his ears. “R-right here?” he croaks out. This is the boldest Baekhyun has ever been with him, and while Chanyeol finds it extremely hot that Baekhyun wants to get down and dirty right here in the middle of the parking garage, something tells him they’re not alone with all the surveillance cameras surrounding them.  


“Mhm. Right here.” The assault on Chanyeol’s neck continues while he hurriedly tries to maneuver both of them out of the view of the cameras. Baekhyun’s crazy if he thinks Chanyeol’s going to give in right now. Quite frankly, this brash move throws Chanyeol off guard and leaves him conflicted between extremely turned on and scared for his life.  


“Baek- _ah_ , stop” His voice falters. “We’re going to get caught.”  


“Mmm,” Baekhyun hums out while attempting to suck a bright red spot on the side of Chanyeol’s neck.  


“Baek- please.”  


“Please what?” The hot breath against Chanyeol’s neck is nothing compared to the wandering hands making their way down to gently cup him through his pants. “Use your words Chanyeol. Tell me what you want.”  


Chanyeol throws his head back in pleasure as the man he’s been longing for, for the past month is now standing in front of him pressing his hand against the ever-growing bulge situated between his legs. The feeling in the pit of his stomach is growing, and Chanyeol almost forgets where he is when Baekhyun stands on his toes to graze his lips behind Chanyeol’s ear -- hollowing his cheeks to suck hard at the skin, while continuing to palm Chanyeol’s now fully hard erection.  


“Stop.” Chanyeol manages to get out. “Stop. Stop.”  


Baekhyun pulls off with one last obnoxious suckle to Chanyeol’s skin -- lips swollen and pupils wide. He steps back to smirk at Chanyeol’s modesty and shoves his hands in his pocket to fish out his keys and unlock the car. Impending doom looms over Chanyeol as he anticipates car sex -- which both of them agreed to never do again after one particularly embarrassing moment where Baekhyun accidentally pressed the buttons to roll down the windows while leaning back to take more of Chanyeol’s cock in the passenger seat. The fact that their moans hadn’t attracted the nearest passerby was a miracle in and of itself because, if Chanyeol remembers correctly, that was the time Baekhyun practically blew out their eardrums from all the screaming he did when his orgasm ripped through his body. However, it did sound a rustle in the bushes nearby, which had Baekhyun scurrying off the taller’s lap and into the driver’s seat while Chanyeol scrambled to pull his pants up. Too shaken to go for another round, the two of them headed back to Baekhyun’s apartment and ended up cuddling for two hours -- upon Baekhyun’s request.  


Now, as Chanyeol sits in the very same car they’d sworn off, still shaking from their prior activities, a bad taste forms in the back of his mouth. With his gift haphazardly thrown in the back seat, Chanyeol definitely knows what’s going to happen next. But, as unpredictable as Baekhyun is, the idol starts the car, puts his car in reverse, and extends his arm to place behind Chanyeol’s headrest while swiftly turning the wheel with his other hand.  


“Where are we going?” Chanyeol asks, kind of already knowing the answer.  


“My place,” Baekhyun says as he watches for incoming traffic.  


“Is it alright if you just drop me off at my place? I’m kind of tired.” Chanyeol waits for some elaborate excuse to come out of Baekhyun’s mouth.  


“Sure.” Chanyeol chokes back a surprised gasp. This man is just full of firsts tonight. “Are you alright? Is Naejoo-hyung working you too hard?” Baekhyun places his free hand on Chanyeol’s thigh. There’s an affectionate squeeze that comes off as sensitive and caring. Who is this man and what has he done with the _real_ Baekhyun? Cause the _real_ Baekhyun would say just about anything in the book to convince Chanyeol to come back to his place. His actions are enduring, but Chanyeol’s hesitant to call it anything more. It’s a constant push and pull with Baekhyun. One day he wants to shower Chanyeol with love and affection, and on other days he just wants a quick fuck and move on with his day.  


Nonetheless, this makes Chanyeol feel confident, so he places his hand on top of Baekhyun’s and surely replies, “Nothing I can’t handle.”  


This earns Chanyeol another squeeze to his thigh. “That’s good,” Baekhyun says, not looking at Chanyeol, but instead, gaze focused straight ahead -- smiling.  


\--  


The next day work, Chanyeol is all smiles as Baekhyun struts his way into the salon and plops down on the chair at Chanyeol’s station. It’s the annual time to change up Baekhyun’s hairstyle as comeback preparations are coming up. Today, Chanyeol plans to dye the singer’s hair a light brown, styled with a perm.  


In the middle of his work, Chanyeol spots a familiar figure -- it’s Taewoo -- carrying a basket of tangerines.  


Baekhyun jumps out of his seat and moves to give Taewoo a hug. It’s one big reunion for the three of them -- having not been in the same room together for about a year. “Are these for me?” Baekhyun quickly reaches down to swipe a tangerine out of the basket, but Taewoo is faster and whips the basket away. “These are actually for Chanyeol. I didn’t get to thank him for letting me stay at his place.”  


Slightly taken aback, Chanyeol darts his eyes between his two friends and lets out a nervous chuckle. Awkward, would be an understatement. “You didn’t have to get me anything.” Chanyeol finally says.  


“I know. But I saw these while on the way here and they were on sale, so, why not?” Chanyeol bursts out in laughter at his friend’s silly reasoning and takes the basket of fruit.  


“Thank you, for these half priced tangerines.”  


“No problem. Hey, I gotta run. I just came here to give these to you. Catch you guys later.”  


After saying their goodbyes, Chanyeol resumes his work on Baekhyun’s hair. “When did Taewoo stay at your place?”  


“A couple of weeks ago. We had a little too much to drink and I offered him to come back to my place.”  


“How come you’ve never offered to take me to your place?”  


He’s being interrogated right now, he knows it. To his defense, it’s always been Baekhyun in control of their meeting places, and nine times out of ten, it’s usually his car or his apartment. Chanyeol didn’t even know other locations were an option. But then again, Chanyeol doesn’t have a fireplace situated in front of his bed or a heated bathroom in his apartment, so it’s a little embarrassing to take Baekhyun to a half-filled, one bedroom apartment down in Myeongil-dong.  


“Because I don’t have remote controlled blinds and a view of the Han river outside my window?” His reply doesn’t make any sense, but he hopes Baekhyun will catch on to what he means.  


“So?” Chanyeol knew this would happen.  


“Your place is closer from here anyway. I live way across town.” This seems to quiet Baekhyun down. While it’s true that Baekhyun’s apartment is literally a few blocks from the salon, it still didn’t sound like a good enough excuse from the way Baekhyun sternly looks down at his phone -- purposely trying to avoid making eye contact with Chanyeol in the mirror -- which they usually do to subtly flirt with each other in public.  


Whatever the reason may be, it can’t be more important than getting Baekhyun’s hair finished. He has a photo shoot for his upcoming album in a few months, and having his hair styled just right is of most concern at the moment.  


With seemingly no end to this hair appointment, after several hours of trying to make Baekhyun’s stubbornly straight hair hold it’s wavy shape, the pesky strands finally take hold after what might have been an entire day. Chanyeol is beyond exhausted and still has a lot of cleaning to do around his station. When he sees that Baekhyun is making no attempts to leave the chair, he knows there’s something wrong. Right as Chanyeol’s about to open his mouth, Baekhyun beats him to it and asks, “Are you free tonight?”  


“Yeah, I am.” Chanyeol wants to slap himself in the face for that autopilot answer -- getting another feeling of impending doom.  


Don’t do it. Don’t do it.  


“Let’s go to your place tonight.”  


He did it. Right in front of Chanyeol’s non-existent salad. He went ahead and did it.  


“I- Uh-,” Chanyeol searches his brain for any plausible situation to get him out of this mess.  


“You don’t want me at your place.” Baekhyun states -- standing from the chair. “It’s fine. I get it.”  


“No” Chanyeol grabs for Baekhyun’s arm. “That’s not it.”  


“Then what is it?”  


Truthfully, Chanyeol doesn’t know either. Perhaps it’s having Baekhyun enter a sacred place that makes Chanyeol nervous, or maybe it’s because the fine line drawn between them might suddenly disappear if Baekhyun steps inside Chanyeol’s apartment. His home is where he’s the most vulnerable, and for some reason, Chanyeol isn’t ready to share that side of him just yet. Not until he has a grasp on what Baekhyun really wants. Taewoo had spelled it out for him that night at the barbeque that the longer this goes on, the longer Chanyeol remains in pain.  


A series of contradictions run through Chanyeol’s mind. He’s not ready to share his life with Baekhyun just yet but loves it when Baekhyun does. He loves it when Baekhyun does subtle things like this, where he tries to know more about Chanyeol, but the moment Baekhyun gets too close, Chanyeol retracts. He doesn’t want to look like an open book in Baekhyun’s eyes --maybe he already does-- but Chanyeol doesn’t feel like he is, and he wants to keep it that way.  


But that also means the more Chanyeol steps back-- closer to the edge-- the less willing Baekhyun will be to step forward. They need to meet somewhere in the middle in order for this to work, and maybe that middle is bringing Baekhyun back to his place. There is no clear answer, but Chanyeol needs to find one fast because he can feel the best thing in his life slowly slipping through the cracks. He needs to push his insecure thoughts out of his mind, and suck it up.  


“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, when I said there would be drama in the second part, I completely lied lol. Well, there was supposed to be drama in this part but I got a better idea to put it somewhere else so...  
> I had a really hard time writing this part, so I apologize if it's uneventful or sloppy --kind of going through a stalemate with this story.  
> For those asking, I'm planning on making this story a maximum of 10 chapters or a minimum of 7 chapters.  
> Oh, and the part where Taewoo says he got the tangerines on sale is a joke. Just wanted to clear that up.  
> Also, Myeongil-dong is where I'm from lol  
> Let me know what you guys think!  
> Enjoy!  
> [ Twitter ](https://twitter.com/bleuhouse1) (I actually use it now), [ Curious Cat ](https://curiouscat.me/bleuhouse1)


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspirations for this chapter:  
> Best Friend by IKON  
> Let Me Know by LANY (also, I recommend listening to their Malibu Nights album if you haven't already. It's beautiful)

Both of them are standing in the doorway of Chanyeol’s apartment. If he knew Baekhyun was going to pay a visit, he would have cleaned up a bit more. Socks and a random hoodie hang on the side of the couch and a half-eaten bowl of ramen sits unwashed on the coffee table. Chanyeol rubs the back of his neck out of embarrassment as he watches Baekhyun walk around the apartment.  


“It’s not Cheongdam, but it’s home,” Chanyeol mumbles out.  


Baekhyun turns his attention to the delicate figurine collection sitting in a glass cabinet in the corner of the room. “No, it’s not Cheongdam, but it’s cozy and feels a lot more like home.”  


“You’re just saying that,” Chanyeol says in a dry tone.  


He shouldn’t have said that. He should have just let Baekhyun compliment his average-looking apartment and be done with it because the smaller man is now advancing on him -- trapping him against the wall of his living room.  


“I’m not just saying that. I mean it,” Baekhyun states. A kiss so gentle makes its way onto Chanyeol’s lips. Oh, how he missed these lips in the weeks Baekhyun was gone. Soon, fingers slide between locks of Chanyeol’s hair as Baekhyun brings more heat into his kisses.  


It’s desperation at it’s best, desire in it’s worst.  


Chanyeol breaks away to breathe in much-needed air from the suffocating kisses. It turns awkward for a just a moment -- standing in the middle of the living room looking at one another like no one knows what’s coming next. It’s Baekhyun who breaks their heated stare and slides his hands down Chanyeol’s arms to slots their fingers together. He’s pulling Chanyeol to the bedroom and closes the door once they make it inside. Right away, even in the dark, Chanyeol can make out how messy his room is. Red flushes his cheeks from the embarrassment.  


“Your room is even cozier,” Baekhyun jokes as he grabs for the hem of Chanyeol’s shirt.  


It all happens so fast.  


Both of them manage to slip under the covers, naked, with Baekhyun perfectly situated on top of Chanyeol. Baekhyun’s thighs surround either side of Chanyeol’s waist as he slowly grinds down to get a reaction. It’s been so long since both of them have been together like this, but any sense of doubt or hesitation seizes to exist between them. They know each other’s bodies like the back of their hand. Chanyeol knows how much Baekhyun likes to be on top -- looking down with heartfelt eyes as he brings the taller to climax.  


For some reason, this thought triggers a particular memory in Chanyeol’s mind at the worst possible time. He remembers one night, while the two of them lay tangled in each other’s arms, Baekhyun asking him something he’ll never forget. “What’s your favorite thing about me?” Chanyeol looks down in utter shock at the man lying beside him. It’s a question so out of line from their usual conversations, that Chanyeol almost forgets how to speak. Scratch that, he does forget to speak, which leaves a long silence between them. Baekhyun juts out his bottom lip at the lack of an answer. “Why aren’t you answering?” he pouts, lighting hitting Chanyeol on the shoulder. “Am I that horrible?”  


It should have been funny -- Baekhyun pretending to be angry-- but Chanyeol doesn’t think so. The thought of Baekhyun thinking that Chanyeol found him to be anything short of perfect is an insult. It’s an insult because Chanyeol thinks Baekhyun is the most beautiful man alive -- no one compares. There’s so much that Chanyeol admires that it’s almost impossible to list just a few things at a time. Or maybe, it’s because Baekhyun knows just how whipped Chanyeol is for him that he asks such a random question while they spoon after sex.  


“Are you really not going to say anything?” Baekhyun tugs Chanyeol closer and plants a kiss right under his chin. Then, the confession. “I could say a lot about you.”  


In a matter of minutes, Baekhyun had managed to blow Chanyeol away not once, but twice. The initial shock is still there, but Chanyeol wills himself to say something back. “Like what?” His bottom lip quivers a little, and he hopes the other didn’t see that.  


“Hm let’s see.” Baekhyun taps on his chin with his pointer finger, pretending once again, to ponder over Chanyeol’s question. “For starters, your ears were very interesting when I first saw them, but then I got to see the charm in them.”  


Is it possible to have a compliment kink he didn’t know about? “What else do you like about me?” Chanyeol tries, suddenly feeling confident.  


“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Baekhyun questions. “Don’t get too carried away now. I have things I don’t about like you either.” It’s now Chanyeol’s turn to pout. “But don’t worry, there’s more good than bad.”  


But he never does get to remember all the things Baekhyun said that night because a particularly high-pitched whimper pulls Chanyeol out of his thoughts and into the present. He hears Baekhyun pant against his ear as this slow rhythm they have going on isn’t enough, but somehow, both of them remain in this compromising position which brings them no closer to getting off. Baekhyun adjusts himself so his forearms are situated on either of Chanyeol’s head -- his grinding has become desperate and erratic.  


“Whoa Baek, slow down.” Chanyeol grips Baekhyun’s waist in an attempt to still them.  


“ _Ah_ , Chanyeol touch me.”  


“Ok, let me get up for a second.”  


“No, _please_. I _need_ you.”  


Chanyeol stills for a second and reaches up to stroke Baekhyun’s cheek. A small tear is forming on the brim of Baekhyun’s eyes -- threatening to fall. “I need you too. But I can’t do anything if you won’t let me.”  


With a nod, Baekhyun lifts himself up on his knees so Chanyeol can reach over to his nightstand to grab the lube and a condom. Meanwhile, Baekhyun never breaks contact with Chanyeol -- having some part of his body touching Chanyeol at all times. Once Chanyeol situates himself under Baekhyun again, a smile so slight forms in the corners of the smaller man’s lips.  


Both of them roll the condom on Chanyeol together -- the whole process so slow compared to what they’re used to. All the while, Chanyeol looks up at Baekhyun like he’s the only man who exists on the planet. He watches as smooth, pale thighs run flush against his waist as the idol sinks down all the way. The hold he has on Baekhyun’s thighs leave red as fingers clamp onto the plush skin.  


Baekhyun throws his head back in pleasure -- mouthing at the air around him as Chanyeol slowly lifts his hips. It’s equally as enthralling for Chanyeol -- seeing how worked up Baekhyun is getting. It’s a mess of whines and moans that reverberate throughout the thin walls of Chanyeol’s apartment, but both of them are too caught up in one another to care.  


It’s when Baekhyun leans down to plant a sultry kiss on Chanyeol’s lips, that everything seems to crumble down.  


“I bet you Kasper didn’t make you feel this good,” the idol hotly whispers out against Chanyeol’s ear. This moment was supposed to be special -- the slow build up of anticipation that Baekhyun had so effortlessly set up, was supposed to be the vulnerability Chanyeol was so willingly ready to patch up.  


Instead, this is what the whole thing is about: jealousy.  


Baekhyun wanting to come over, to see Chanyeol’s apartment, to have sex on Chanyeol’s bed, was all an elaborate plan to placate some sinister assumption in his mind that something happened the night Kasper stayed over.  


That’s what all this is about, and Chanyeol can’t take much more of it. He freezes his movements -- looking up at Baekhyun with anger, hurt, and disgust as the smaller man continues bouncing up and down, basking in the pleasure. It doesn’t feel good anymore -- Chanyeol doesn’t know if it will ever feel good again. Baekhyun brings his head upright and opens his eyes with a look of confusion at the lack of movement coming from Chanyeol.  


“Is that what this is all about?” Chanyeol retorts, not making any attempts to hide his anger.  


Now, Baekhyun is the one who stills -- looking down at Chanyeol with something along the lines of fear and dread washing over his face. “I-I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t know why I said that. I didn’t mean that.” His words come out in fast succession -- like he’s defending himself from his wrongdoings.  


If it were any other time, Chanyeol would have succumbed to whatever elaborate and seductive excuse Baekhyun had in the back of his mind, but right now, Chanyeol’s cup is filled to the brim, and he can no longer take anymore.  


“Oh really, what did you mean then?” Chanyeol says roughly as he pushes Baekhyun off his lap and moves to stand at the foot of his bed. He doesn’t care that he’s naked and angry in front of Baekhyun. All that means nothing compared to the hurt and embarrassment he suffered at the hands of the idol.  


“Chanyeol I-I’m sorry ok? I just thought there was something going on between you and Kasper-”  


“And this is your way of finding out if there is?” Chanyeol interrupts.  


Baekhyun brings the covers up to his chin. “I’m sorry,” he whispers.  


Again, if this were any other time, Chanyeol would have found Baekhyun’s innocent actions cute, but now, as he stands in his room, about to explode, he finds Baekhyun acting cute to be the last thing he wants to see right now.  


“What if there is something going between us? It’s none of your business.”  


“So there is something going on?”  


“No!” Chanyeol shouts, throwing his arms in the air out of frustration. “There isn’t anything going on between me and Kasper! Even if there was, you have no right to know!”  


Chanyeol sees Baekhyun sinking deeper into the mattress after his sudden outburst. It doesn’t phase Chanyeol in the slightest -- if anything, it makes him even angrier.  


“You need to leave,” Chanyeol states as he points to the door.  


“What? Chanyeol let’s talk about this.” Baekhyun throws the covers to the side and walks over to where Chanyeol is standing -- reaching out to place a hand on the man’s shoulder. Chanyeol steps back -- out of reach. “No, don’t- don’t touch me.”  


This the first time Chanyeol’s ever done something like this. Outwardly rejecting Baekhyun was something he never thought of doing. But the situation at hand calls for it, and it’s the only thing Chanyeol feels is the right thing to do.  


Baekhyun lowers his hand and steps closer -- trying to meet the taller man’s eyes. When that doesn’t work, Baekhyun speaks. “Look, I’m sorry I said that.” He chances another step. “It slipped out.”  


“Please,” Chanyeol asserts, placing a hand on Baekhyun’s chest. “Please just leave.”  


“I’m not leaving until I know we’re ok.”  


“We’re a lot of things, but ok is not one of them.”  


“Then let's make it ok,” Baekhyun stammers. There are tears in his eyes now -- much more than before -- to which Chanyeol thinks are real. “Talk to me Chanyeol, please.”  


Many emotions are running through Chanyeol at the moment, but sadness is not one of them. He can’t bring himself to cry with Baekhyun -- to sympathize with how he feels. Too many months of torture and too many months of waiting have led right to this moment. It’s not a big deal, what Baekhyun said about him and Kasper, really, but the thought of Kaito, and all the other men Baekhyun seems to have at his fingertips floods Chanyeol’s already confused mind.  


The nerve to come into his apartment and pretend to be interested in his less-than-perfect life is what makes Chanyeol angry. So much hesitation, so much doubt, ran through Chanyeol’s mind the instant Baekhyun asked to come over. All that internal struggle was for nothing, which makes Chanyeol feel even more like a fool. But tonight, he’s going to stand up for himself. He’s going to protect what little dignity he has left when it comes to Baekhyun.  


“We’re not ok,” Chanyeol repeats. “We’ll never _be_ ok.”  


“I’m right here Chanyeol,” Baekhyun chides. “So let’s talk about whatever it is that’s not making us ok.”  


“You don’t get it,” Chanyeol snaps.  


“Then make me get it,” Baekhyun says desperately. “I’m here. I’m listening.”  


“That’s the thing. You say you’re listening, but you never listen to anybody but yourself.”  


A lot of things. A lot of things are making Chanyeol upset, but saying them out loud will make him sound like a child, so he slips Baekhyun’s hand off his wrist and grabs for his pants on the floor. As Chanyeol’s about to button up his pants, he feels nimble fingers trying to prevent him from finishing the job. “Baek, let go.”  


“No, you don’t get to do this,” Baekhyun cries. “We’re friends. Nothing’s changed. I’m here for you.”  


Tears are now sliding down Baekhyun’s cheeks in streams, but Chanyeol still doesn’t feel the need to comfort. All his emotions are disorganized and malfunctioning, so the only thing he’s left with feeling is nothing.  


Once Chanyeol frees himself from Baekhyun’s fingers, he turns around to button his pants -- back turned to Baekhyun in order for the words he’s about to say, to come out easier. Looking aimlessly at the wall in front of him, Chanyeol tightens his fists together and forces himself to spit out his words.  


“I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”  


There’s rustling going on behind him and when Chanyeol turns around, he sees that Baekhyun has made his way back onto Chanyeol’s bed again -- fiddling with the covers.  


“You don’t mean that,” Baekhyun laughs. His tone almost makes him sound crazy, but Chanyeol knows it’s just out of disbelief. Disbelief because no one’s ever let Baekhyun down like this before. Chanyeol can imagine all the men pining for Baekhyun’s feelings, and Baekhyun gaining pleasure from knowing that men would do anything for his affections. No one’s ever given Baekhyun a taste of his own medicine, and yet, there’s Chanyeol, his friend, letting go of him so easily.  


“I mean it.” Chanyeol stares down at his feet, too afraid to look up.  


Loud sniffles fill the room as Baekhyun picks up his clothes and brings them to the bathroom. Chanyeol can tell he’s stalling for time -- giving Chanyeol a chance to change his mind. When Baekhyun emerges from the bathroom -- eyes puffed up and red -- all Chanyeol can do is watch Baekhyun grab his keys off the coffee table and make his way to the front door.  


“I’m here for you Chanyeol. Always,” Baekhyun says over his shoulder. Then, the thud of the front door closing seems to shake the entire apartment and the beeping of his lock seems to ring in Chanyeol’s ears.  


In his bed, staring up at the ceiling, Chanyeol remembers what Baekhyun had said about him that night. “You’re the dorkiest person I know when it comes to anime, but also the funniest person I know. I like how your nose crinkles when you laugh and how you hit people next to you when something is really funny. But most of all, you’re a really great friend and that’s rare to find in my line of work. You’re true to who you are and you don’t care what other people think.”  


If only those words held true at this moment. Chanyeol always played it cool whenever he was with Baekhyun -- pretending to be ok with everything. In reality, Chanyeol’s terrified of the world, but for Baekhyun, he was willing to risk it all.  


That’s why Chanyeol contemplates if what he did tonight was the right thing to do. He lost the one thing that genuinely makes him happy, but he also cut loose the one thing that brings him great sorrow. This whole ordeal is a double-edged sword that cuts deeper and deeper no matter which way it gets pulled.  


Though he didn’t say all the things he wanted, Chanyeol thinks he did the right thing overall, but like always, a tiny part of him doubts. He doesn’t where he stands with Baekhyun anymore, but one thing is for sure, Chanyeol meant it when he said he didn’t want to see Baekhyun anymore. It’s the best for both of them -- to live their own lives and be friendly acquaintances. No more mingling and certainly no more late night meetings. Chanyeol’s done with that life -- done with the hassle it brings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised you drama, so here it is! Kind of lol  
> As you saw at the end of this chapter, Chanyeol didn't get to say everything he wanted to (hint, hint).  
> I had such a fun time writing this because this is the moment all of you (and me) have been waiting for! But there's more so...  
> Also, why is Baekhyun such a jerk? Who made him that way, ugh.  
> Anyway, this chapters a bit short cause I'm about to return back to school from break and wanted to get something up before I go back.  
> To say this chapter was a tiny bit unedited would not be an understatement, but kind of an understatement lol  
> I'm graduating uni in a few months, so I really have to start figuring out what to do with my life now (cries).  
> I genuinely hope you guys like this chapter and I know it's short, but I'm not completely sure when I'll be able to update again.  
> Let me know what you think! I see and take all your comments to heart and appreciate each and every one of them so keep them coming!  
> If you'd like to talk to me or just want to say hi, I always check my social media!  
> I'll see you in my next update!  
> [ Twitter](https://twitter.com/bleuhouse1) , [ Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/bleuhouse1)


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a new story out called [Honey](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19476643/chapters/46361620) if you want to check it out!

On a random Monday, a month after abruptly kicking Baekhyun out of his apartment, while riding the bus into Gangnam, Chanyeol stares out the window and wonders how everything went so wrong. His mind has been torn for weeks on whether or not to completely cut Baekhyun out of his life or remain platonic friends. Sadly, Chanyeol can’t find himself being able to live with any of the situations he picks, but he knows it’s something he has to do. Not to mention the fact that he has to face Baekhyun one last time to return the nearly priceless shoes he had gotten for him. Life’s a mess at the moment, and Chanyeol wishes he didn’t have to deal with all of it. Oh, and to top it all off, reports are saying this year’s winter might be the coldest ever recorded. Perfect. More bad news to bring down Chanyeol’s mood and completely send him into having an actual breakdown. 

On the bright side, the weather has pretty much cooled down from the raging inferno it had been a few weeks ago, and the sight of long cashmere coats comforts Chanyeol in a way he can’t quite figure out. With the weather finally looking up, the streets of Gangnam are filled early in the morning - a stark contrast to the mid-day slump just a few days ago. He wonders how long this will last before the chill of winter reaches Seoul. 

Perhaps it won’t be long because when Chanyeol enters the salon and sees a small figure of a man blanketed in a puffy padded jacket sitting at his station, he knows winter is near. Whatever Chanyeol did to piss off the God’s today rumbles through his brain as his body visibly slumps at the thought of having to approach his station. After a month of avoiding his problems involving Baekhyun, said man shows up, ironically, at a time in which Chanyeol would rather not face. He thinks of anything he can to distract himself, but as he looks around, there aren’t many stylists in, and the place looks rather clean because of it. So, the option of frantically going around cleaning the place is out of the question. Next, he spots boxes in front of the back storage room and makes his way over in hopes of finding something to sort, but life has a funny way of putting people in the most uncomfortable of situations, which is why the boxes are empty and silently mocking him for his incompetence. Funny, how in the two years he’s been working in the salon, he’s never had a day where someone wasn’t ordering him around to clean something or get something from the back. But today of all days, when the person he would rather punch than have a decent conversation with, is sitting at his station waiting patiently for his arrival. 

This is it. Today’s the day Chanyeol officially gets fired for punching a world famous idol. He can feel it in his bones. Something else he can feel is how clammy his feet get at the thought of having to see Baekhyun _again_ because he still has to give the shoes back. Life is really testing Chanyeol today, and he’s content with receiving a big fat “F” by ditching work completely if it weren’t for Baekhyun spotting him through the mirror. 

“Hey, Chanyeol” Baekhyun calls out. He’s standing from the chair now - puffy jacket almost swallowing him whole. Chanyeol also notices how skinny Baekhyun’s gotten, and a part of him wants to think it’s because of their fight, but he soon reminds himself that he can’t think like that anymore. 

“Hi.” It’s obvious in the way Chanyeol talks to his feet rather than at Baekhyun, that things have clearly shifted between the two of them. 

“Is there somewhere we can talk? Privately?” Baekhyun asks. Oh no, Chanyeol doesn’t trust himself to be alone in a room with Baekhyun in fear of his fist accidentally - or not so accidentally - coming into contact with his face. He should have just run out the door when he first spotted Baekhyun in his chair. Then, things wouldn’t have to be like this and Baekhyun would walk out of the salon unscathed. 

He tilts his head in the direction of the storage room. “Sure. Right this way.” 

Chanyeol leads them to the back room, and once they’re inside, he silently looks around - cursing every crevice of the room for not supplying him with some kind of hard labor like it usually does. Also, Chanyeol still hasn’t given up on his plan to escape, he just hasn’t found the right time to execute it. 

There’s a couple of seconds in which they both don’t say anything. If it goes any longer, Chanyeol thinks he might have a good chance to leave. But like all the horrible things that happened to him in the span of ten minutes, Baekhyun clears his throat to try and say something. Chanyeol’s more than ready to listen and spit back whatever comes to his mind, when cold fingers reach out to capture his hand. He whips back as far as he can so Baekhyun doesn’t get a chance to fully get a grip. Right now is not the time to be soft and sensitive, and quite frankly, Baekhyun’s bold move sends heat rising to Chanyeol’s head, which naturally overflows into his fist. 

“Ok,” Baekhyun sighs, having not expected Chanyeol to react the way he did. “How have you been?” He’s grasping at straws now, trying to get some kind of reaction out of Chanyeol. “Are you feeling better?” 

“Nothing was wrong with me in the first place.” Chanyeol admits, still not looking up from his feet. 

“I mean since that night...is everything alright?” 

“Like I said, there was nothing wrong with me.” 

It’s cold in the storage room - more than Chanyeol had remembered. Looking down at Baekhyun bundled in his padded jacket almost makes him fit right in with the temperature in the room. They’re not talking anymore, just standing there silently with Baekhyun trying to meet Chanyeol’s gaze. Of course, Chanyeol looks away every time he feels Baekhyun’s eyes drag closer to his line of vision. He’s not doing anything to hide his blatant movements and Baekhyun hasn’t said anything about it - or anything in general - so he keeps up his cold demeanor. 

“Can you at least look at me?” Baekhyun asks, softer than it should have been. 

But Chanyeol doesn’t listen - continuing to look down at his feet and fiddle with his fingers. He has nothing to say anymore, but the fact that Baekhyun does, makes him hope that what happened that night struck something inside the idol. 

Another release of breath sounds between them, and Chanyeol can tell Baekhyun is starting to get frustrated. Good. Chanyeol wants Baekhyun to explode so he doesn’t have to. “Look Chanyeol,” Baekhyun starts. “I’m sorry about what I said that night. It was foolish of me to even think that way. Whatever’s bothering you or making you upset, I just want you to know I’m here for you. You can tell me anything.” 

Baekhyun tries again to reach for Chanyeol’s hand, but boiling frustration is what makes Chanyeol flail his arms in disapproval. All Chanyeol wants to do right now is grab the smaller man by the shoulders and shake him awake. How can he not know that all this unnecessary drama is because of him? He can’t do this anymore. In the tight quarters of this beat up storage room, Chanyeol decides he needs to make a choice - a choice he dreaded making on the bus this morning. On the verge of tears and ready to vomit up whatever words come to his mind, Chanyeol finally lets everything go. 

“I don’t know what kind of “friends” you have, but I don’t have sex with my mine four times a week and act like nothing happened afterward,” Chanyeol accuses. He’s made his decision, whether he likes it or not. 

He can see how wide Baekhyun’s eyes get as well as the utter disbelief that follows right after. There’s a slight satisfaction in knowing how hurt Baekhyun feels in this moment. Whether he truly is hurt, Chanyeol will never know, but his words were harsh and his tone was stern. 

“When have I ever acted like nothing happened?” Baekhyun meets Chanyeol’s eyes with obvious hurt riddled throughout his face. 

“Don’t do this right now,” Chanyeol warns. If today is the day he gets fired for punching his salon’s most exclusive customer, it would be right now. This game they’ve been playing no longer involves a winner. They passed that a long time ago. Right now, they both need to acknowledge defeat, but no one’s willing to budge. 

“I’ve never once acted like what happened between us wasn’t something special.” Baekhyun’s confident in his statement, but Chanyeol is determined to show him otherwise. 

“Are you hearing yourself right now?” he spits out. “The number of times you’ve kicked me out or made me feel guilty for staying even just a little bit longer than I should have - that doesn’t ring a bell? Even when you ask me to stay it’s just so you have someone to keep you warm while you recover from whatever “high” you get out of successfully manipulating people.” Chanyeol’s breathless, but he can’t keep his words down. “I know about Kaito.” His final blow. The last hurrah. “So don’t even act like I was anything special.” The weight that’s been suffocating him finally feels like it’s been dropped to the ground, and all the swords that were once stuck inside him, are now littered on the floor. 

He did it. 

Baekhyun looks up at Chanyeol, with tears lining his cheeks. If Chanyeol weren’t so caught up in his own thoughts, he would be doing the same. All he can do now is wait for Baekhyun to defend himself and wiggle his way out of this mess. 

So, he waits, and waits, and waits. 

After what feels like hours, Baekhyun swipes his tears away and straightens himself up. Expecting this conversation to be over, Chanyeol turns to reach for the door, when Baekhyun hastily moves to block him from leaving the room. Red eyes and swollen cheeks look back at him - trying anything to keep him there. “Is that really what you think I see you as? A warm body?” There’s a half-hearted smile on Baekhyun’s lips. “You want to know why I went to Japan?” Baekhyun’s advancing on him now, trapping him in this already tiny room. “Aside from my schedules, I went there to end things with Kaito.” 

Now, it’s Chanyeol’s turn to burst into tears. Not because he feels sad, but because he feels uncertain. This whole time he’d been too fixated on the idea that he meant nothing to Baekhyun. Too caught up in his own selfish feelings to even consider the other side of the story. Chills run down Chanyeol’s spine as he thinks he might have read this whole situation wrong. 

“That’s why I took you to dinner before I left,” Baekhyun continues. “I wanted to do something special for you. And when I came back, you were so busy with work that you couldn’t even meet with me.” The slight crack in the under breath of Baekhyun’s words is almost inaudible, but Chanyeol hears. Hears the vulnerability finally making its way out of Baekhyun’s mouth. “I was going to confess to you that night we met at the cafe. I even asked a friend if he could get a pair of those shoes you’ve been talking about, and you looked so happy that I didn’t want to ruin that moment for you. But when we got in my car to go back to my place, you said you would rather go home, so I agreed, because if I tried to convince you, you’d think I was only taking you back to my place to have sex.” 

“I had it all planned out. Right when I returned to Korea, I knew I had to see you. I ended things with a lot of people, and Kaito just happened to be the last one.” Baekhyun smiles to himself as he says his next words. “Do you remember that night when I asked you to meet and I picked you up and went down to the river?” 

Chanyeol nods. He remembers that night like it was yesterday. The first time Baekhyun picked him up, and the first time their meetings meant something more. Chanyeol knows now that he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. “I knew then that you were different from all the other people I saw, but didn’t want to accept it. As time passed, I found myself dialing your number more than I should have and missed just... being in your company.” 

This isn’t the confession Chanyeol wants right now. Not like this. Anywhere but the room where he almost slipped to his death from leftover conditioner. But Baekhyun looks so determined to get out whatever it is he needs to say, so Chanyeol freezes and waits for the man to finish. 

“I had hoped when I brought you up to Lotte Tower that you would know how I really felt about you. Even though you flat out rejected me that night, I didn’t care, because it wasn’t just about the sex at that point. We could have met a year later and I would still feel the same way about you. I love you Chanyeol. Have for quite some time now. You’re the only one I want, and you _are_ special to me.” 

So much built up emotion and so much resentment sits at the tip of Chanyeol’s tongue, but the moment he hears Baekhyun’s confession, his eyes finally well with tears and he can no longer control what he’s feeling. Tears are now falling down his cheek as a smile so big, it hurts, forms on his face. All the late night concerns and not-so-sober dinner’s with Taewoo were worth it because, in the end, he got the man he loves. And by some miracle, the man Chanyeol loves, just so happens to love him back. 

It’s so weird how just a few days ago Chanyeol was a pent up ball of frustration when it came to Baekhyun. Now, all he feels is adoration, affection, admiration, any form of the word associated with “love” is what Chanyeol feels. Not an ounce of bitter resentment resides in his body anymore, and he can’t fathom the idea that he once did. He knew he loved Baekhyun when the rookie idol walked into the salon two years ago joking around with anyone and everyone in the room. The way he carried himself with so much confidence even in the hardest of times is what naturally drew everyone to him. Their friendship consisted of making up for what the other lacked, and anyone could see that they meant so much to each other. Instead, it took them six months, and countless rounds of sex later, to figure out that they actually mean a lot more to each other than just friends. 

“Do you remember when we first met?” Baekhyun asks, chuckling into Chanyeol’s neck. “You were so amazed by everything around you, and I just wanted to get away from all the hustle and bustle.” 

They’re holding each other in a storage room that seems to be dropping in temperature by the minute, but thinking back on past memories and being able to hold Baekhyun in his arms without the pretense of sex is something that warms Chanyeol’s whole body. 

“Yeah, and you pretty much flirted with everyone in the room.” 

“I was not. Well, maybe I was flirting with you, but certainly no one else.” The timid laugh that escapes Baekhyun’s lips is like music to Chanyeol’s ears. What they have right now in this storage room is so natural, and Chanyeol wonders if it’ll all disappear when they leave. He wants to savor this moment, to have it last just a bit longer. So, he leans down to capture Baekhyun’s lips. It’s a kiss unlike any they’ve shared before. It’s not sloppy or desperate, just simple and to the point. The feel of soft, plush lips against his own makes Chanyeol weak in the knees, and they way Baekhyun presses in deeper is just enough to assure Chanyeol that this is real. 

When they pull back, lips just barely touching, time stops. Chanyeol tilts Baekhyun’s chin up and their eyes meet for what feels like the hundredth time, and the electricity in the air is enough to have Chanyeol leaning down once again to savor in the taste that is so uniquely Baekhyun. 

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun breathes out in between kisses. “Are we really doing this here?” 

Right. This isn’t exactly the best place to be having a heartfelt reunion. “Oh yeah, not exactly romantic.” Chanyeol looks around the room as he rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment. “I… still have to get back to work.” 

“Me too. I have a couple of schedules in a few hours.” 

Chanyeol’s feelings were right. The moment they step out of this room, things are bound to go back to normal - like this emotional scene didn’t just happen for both of them. He doesn’t want it to end though. Not when they just got together. Wait, are they even together? 

“Meet me at my place when you’re finished.” Baekhyun finally catches hold of Chanyeol’s hand and swipes his thumb across Chanyeol’s palm ever so softly. “And this time, not just for sex.” Chanyeol lets out a chuckle as he leans down to peck Baekhyun’s lips. They still have so much left to discuss and so many misunderstandings to sort out, but Chanyeol’s willing to wait forever if it means he gets to spend time with Baekhyun outside of the bedroom. 

“Not just for sex.” 

\-- 

It’s almost midnight by the time Chanyeol gets off work. Baekhyun had messaged him around nine to let him know he’d finished his schedules. Hailing a cab into Cheongdam is an all-too-familiar act that Chanyeol is way too accustomed to. But this time, he knows it’s for different reasons. 

When he pulls up to the high rise apartment complex, Chanyeol thanks the driver and scurries to the elevator. Pressing the button for the twelfth floor, Chanyeol’s anxiety rises as the elevator gets closer to reaching its destination. Finally, Chanyeol takes a deep breath and steps out of the elevator to stare at the front door of Baekhyun’s apartment. The pale blue sheen that greets him is somewhat comforting, but the will to lift his arm and press the doorbell is harder than anything he’s ever had to do. This is the moment of truth. 

The familiar tune of the doorbell can be heard inside the apartment, and sliding feet on hardwood floor approaching frightens Chanyeol even more. 

As the door opens, it seems as if it happens in slow motion - like in the dramas when the hot male lead walks down the hallway in slow motion with blurred edges and dreamy music. Except, this isn’t a drama and Baekhyun is nowhere near the perfect and pristine hot male lead. Instead, he’s in Adidas sweatpants topped with an oversized t-shirt and no makeup. His hair is flat and parted down the middle with one too many roots showing. Nonetheless, this is what Chanyeol had been expecting and this is what Chanyeol wants. A natural and exposed Baekhyun, that’s all he wants. 

“Hi,” Baekhyun greets. His square smile and perfectly lined teeth shine in the dimly lit hallway. Chanyeol has to calm his labored breathing before he gets a hold of the function in his legs. Taking off his shoes at the door, it feels strange to step inside Baekhyun’s apartment with the sole reason _not_ being sex. It makes Chanyeol view the place in an entirely different light. Looking around, he can finally appreciate the clean white walls and artistic looking sofa in the living room. He can also spot the abstract painting hanging on one of the walls that he swears wasn’t there the last time he was here. But then again, of all the times he was here, looking around the apartment wasn’t exactly on his agenda. 

“Are you hungry? Do you want some food?” 

“Are you going to cook for me?” Chanyeol smirks. 

Baekhyun replies with a snarky look. “No, but we can order something.” 

This is a new type of domestic Chanyeol never thought he would be able to experience with Baekhyun. Though it’s not typical, it’s something more than what they used to have, and he can’t help but point out all the differences between what they used to have and what they’re attempting to have now. It’s not odd or awkward, but endearing and welcoming. 

“Sure. We can get that awful pizza you always order.” 

“Hey, pineapple on pizza is delicious ok?” 

“Whatever you say,” Chanyeol teases. 

There’s a comfortable silence between them as Baekhyun opens a drawer to dig out the takeout menu. Chanyeol watches as the idol grabs his cellphone to order, indeed, the pineapple pizza Chanyeol wishes were never invented, but the thought that Baekhyun will pick the pineapple off his pizza and eat it is something that leaves Chanyeol tickling with excitement. 

“Ok, pizza’s ordered. Let’s talk.” Always the straightforward Baekhyun - _his_ Baekhyun. 

“O-ok, what do you want to talk about?” Chanyeol asks, slightly nervous. 

“How did you find out about Kaito?” 

Being drunk and vulnerable in front of his best friend is one thing, but telling the person behind his drunken mess, is something completely different. How in the world is Chanyeol supposed to tell Baekhyun that he got drunk off his mind because of him? He scrambles in his mind to make himself look less pathetic. “Taewoo told me.” That’s not a lie. Chanyeol just hopes Baekhyun doesn’t press any further. 

“Ok...and how did the topic of my sex life just happen to come up?” 

Oh, that stings. 

Even though Baekhyun had made it clear back in the storage room that he had ended things with Kaito, the thought of Baekhyun having sex with other people doesn’t hurt any less. Maybe it’s because he said it out loud that Chanyeol’s stomach begins to churn, and the stupid pineapple pizza arriving in less than ten minutes isn’t helping either. 

“U-uh, well- you see, it was a rough night.” 

Baekhyun squints his eyes in suspicion. “Mhm, so are you going to tell me the real reason?” 

Admitting defeat and ready to let go of his dignity, Chanyeol braces himself for what he’s about to say. “I got drunk one night while you were in Japan. Taewoo invited me out for drinks and we were talking about you. He told me I deserved better and what you were doing to me wasn’t right. I guess he told me about Kaito so I could get my head out of the clouds. It worked, I guess.” 

“Is that why you avoided me after I got back from Japan? Or were you really that busy with work?” 

“I had work. I just...wasn’t that busy.” 

“So, you’re telling me that if the night out with Taewoo hadn’t happened that we could have avoided this whole thing?” Baekhyun lets out a light laugh in disbelief. “We could have avoided this whole thing,” he repeats. 

Chanyeol supposes that, yes, things could have been different if Taewoo never happened, but if Taewoo never happened, then they’d be back at square one. Or so, that’s what he thinks. 

“In my defense, Taewoo made me realize a lot of things that night. Things I never would have figured out on my own.” 

“You could have figured things out with me, you know.” 

Chanyeol doesn’t answer, just shyly looks down at the soft, white granite, glistening, as the lights shine from above. He knows that now, but a month and a half ago, he would have never turned to Baekhyun in his time of need no matter how much he wanted to. Now, he understands that Baekhyun wants to be there for him - to be the “Taewoo” when Chanyeol needs him to be. 

“Want to know a secret?” Chanyeol whips his head and his ears perk up. He gives a slow nod to the smiling man. “When I heard that Taewoo spent the night at your place, I admit I was jealous. I know, at the time, I had no right to be because we were still just friends, but after my plans to confess at the cafe fell through, and thinking you had someone else, just made me so- I don’t know.” 

Chanyeol can see the red rising on Baekhyun’s neck, almost completely reaching his face. But he knows that this isn’t anger Baekhyun is showing, but it’s him being overwhelmed. Chanyeol doesn’t dare try to say anything, just sits back and waits until Baekhyun is ready to spill his heart out once again. 

“And when we got to your place, I was so angry and jealous and hurt, that when you started touching me, I desperately wanted you to forget about Taewoo and just think of me.” Baekhyun slumps his head into his hands and lets out a soft sob. “I’m so sorry Chanyeol. For everything,” he whispers. 

Finally, Chanyeol has the guts to cry with Baekhyun at this moment. No matter how much he wanted Baekhyun to say sorry for what he had caused, it’s a bitter sentiment when Chanyeol actually hears it aloud. It’s not just Baekhyun who needs to be sorry, but both of them. So, Chanyeol rounds the little table between them and takes hold of Baekhyun while the smaller man continues to sob. “It’s ok Baekhyun. I’m sorry too.” 

This makes Baekhyun cry even harder and Chanyeol’s heart grow even fonder. It’s just them now, two stubborn as hell men finally realizing that they’ve been stupid this whole time. It’s an awakening unlike any other, and Chanyeol wouldn’t have wanted to experience it with anyone except Baekhyun. 

Chanyeol holds Baekhyun’s face in his hands and uses his thumb to wipe away the access tears still sliding down the idol’s cheeks. Chanyeol thinks Baekhyun’s eyes are beautiful even filled with tears, and the way they sparkle as they look up at Chanyeol, with all the desire and love in the world, is enough to make anyone go mad. 

“I’m glad it was you,” Baekhyun admits. “I’m glad it was you and not Kaito, or anyone else.” 

“I’m glad it was me too.” 

Chanyeol chuckles at his little confession and captures Baekhyun’s lips. He’ll never get over how soft Baekhyun’s lips are at all times - when he’s talking about something he’s passionate about, when he’s making fun of Chanyeol for no reason, and most importantly when Chanyeol leans down to savor them. 

He has Baekhyun backed up against the counter, with a hand possessively around his wait and the other settled on the crook of his nape - pressing in closer and deeper to get the full effect. This has Baekhyun arching his back over the granite and his fingers threading in Chanyeol’s hair. He doesn’t know if it’s because the emotional state they’re both in, or the lust that’s been radiating between them since this morning, but Chanyeol concludes that Baekhyun tastes sweeter as he dips his tongue into the man’s welcoming mouth to re-discover all over again, as a couple. 

It’s when Baekhyun lets out a tiny whimper that sends heat rushing down to Chanyeol’s crotch and threatening to make its presence known between them, when the high pitched chorus of the doorbell stops them both in their tracks. The pizza’s here and at the most inconvenient of times. How lucky for both of them. Baekhyun pulls away in excitement and rushes over to retrieve the pizza. When he returns, a hot box of steaming pineapple pizza sits in front of them, ready - or not ready- to be eaten. 

“Here.” Baekhyun holds out a slice to Chanyeol. “Your favorite.” 

Reluctantly, Chanyeol accepts the slice and picks out the pineapple chunks before putting it into his mouth. He can see Baekhyun reaching over for his discarded pineapple and sprinkling it over his own slice. This is such a familiar scene, that Chanyeol almost forgets what just happened. Even before confessing their undying for each other, Baekhyun would always steal Chanyeol’s forgotten pineapple. 

Nothing’s changed between them, but the love they have for each other is like a promotion. A promotion that never ends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Long time no update, kind of.  
> I know I said it would be while until I updated another chapter, but I felt compelled to write this specific chapter for some reason.  
> It's not great or anything, but I imagined their reunion to be short and simple anyway, so I guess it worked out.  
> Also, since they've worked things out, that means the next chapter will be the last! :(  
> So bittersweet but at the same time, this story needs to end lol. I feel like it's been dragged out too long for some reason.  
> Anyway, some points that will be included in the last chapter are emotional sexy time(s) and the reason behind why this story is named 'Meet Me at the Sunrise', for those who haven't already figured it out by now. If you have, leave a comment, and I'll tell you if you got it or not.  
> Hope you guys enjoy and don't forget to leave a comment to let me know what you think!  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bleuhouse1) [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/bleuhouse1)


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologize for this ending in advanced.  
> Stick around until the end for my emotional author's note lol

“I’m getting a solo.” Chanyeol hears as he opens his eyes.  


They’re currently in Baekhyun’s bathtub enjoying a particularly “innocent” bath together after a long day of schedules. It was a group schedule, which meant longer hours getting ready and even longer hours waiting for set up.  


Chanyeol had no intention of going back to Baekhyun’s place after, but when shy hands found their way into Chanyeol’s sweating palms, he couldn’t resist the half-smile and semi-blush creeping up on Baekhyun’s cheeks. One minute he was admiring Baekhyun’s adorable face, and the next, he was being stripped of his clothes to join an equally naked Baekhyun in the bathtub filled to the brim with steaming hot water and fresh lavender soap.  


“That’s great news. I know you’ve been itching for it,” Chanyeol says as he runs his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair. The idol is situated between his legs, and the firm back pressed against his chest is enough for Chanyeol to wrap his arms around Baekhyun’s shoulder to capture more of that precious feeling.  


“Hm, I’ve also been itching for you to run your fingers through my hair like that,” Baekhyun jokes.  
Chanyeol lets out a chuckle that echoes throughout the bathroom and the sound makes him feel self-conscious so he tightens his lips instead. But the way Baekhyun tries to crack more jokes right after only makes Chanyeol think the idol likes making him laugh, so the next ten minutes has Chanyeol practically rolling over in laughter while trying to keep Baekhyun in place.  


After the jokes have run out and the laughter has died down, there’s a moment of silence that lasts a little too long for comfort. Chanyeol leans forward to look at Baekhyun and finds the idol lost in his own thoughts. Staring off into the distance and biting his upper lip, Chanyeol knows there’s something lingering in the back of Baekhyun’s mind.  


“You ok?” Chanyeol asks.  


He runs his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair again in an attempt to comfort him. When there’s no response, Chanyeol assumes it’s because Baekhyun doesn’t want to talk about it anymore, which is fine with him, because he doesn’t want to push Baekhyun into saying something he’s not comfortable with. _‘Baekhyun will open up when he’s ready’_ So, Chanyeol leans back and basks in the warm water with the weight of Baekhyun’s on his chest serving as a nice reminder that intimate moments like these are normal now, no matter how surreal it feels to Chanyeol on a daily basis.  


Suddenly the sound of sloshing water fills Chanyeol’s relaxed ears, and it’s not welcomed at first, but when he feels Baekhyun turn and settle himself into his lap, head tucked nicely in the crook of his neck, Chanyeol’s immediate reaction is to wrap his arms around Baekhyun’s waist and press a delicate kiss to the top of his head.  


“What if they don’t like it?” Baekhyun whispers against Chanyeol’s neck.  


If it’s the company Baekhyun is talking about, Chanyeol understands, but if Baekhyun is talking about his fans, there’s no doubt in his mind that every single one of them will love it.  


“What are you talking about Baek? They’re going to love it.” Chanyeol reassures, still not sure who Baekhyun is referring to.  


“I’ve wanted this for so long,” Baekhyun starts. “I don’t want to mess it up.”  


“Just do what feels right, Baek. It’s what you always do.”  


Just then, Baekhyun looks up, and Chanyeol can feel wet eyelashes scraping against his chest. The temperature of the water has evidently put a slight sheen of red on the singer’s face along with the rest of his body, but Chanyeol can’t seem to mind that because a small, barely there, smile is all he can see in this bathtub filled with murky, soapy water. Chanyeol focuses on the patterns Baekhyun is drawing on his shoulder while he smooths his hands along Baekhyun’s back, trying to ease the stress.  


As the warm water gently lulls both of them on the brink of sleep, Chanyeol realizes before he closes his eyes, the words being traced on his skin: ‘I Love You’.  


-  


Fast forward six months, and as all the details of Baekhyun’s solo album are announced, things have been busier than usual, which means spending time together has been sparse, which also means both of them have been getting creative.  


“Chanyeol, is there a reason we’re making out in a supply closet and you _aren’t_ touching me?”  


It’s pitch black inside this tiny, abandoned room, but Chanyeol shuffles his eyes back and forth like he’s searching for something. “I don’t want to ruin your hair,” Chanyeol lamely replies.  


“Well, you’re the hairstylist, aren’t you supposed to fix ruined hair?” Baekhyun suggests. The teasing tone goes right over Chanyeol’s head when he feels Baekhyun step even closer. What was once a cool exhale on the side of Chanyeol’s neck, soon turns into a wet spot from how close Baekhyun is standing. The heat pooling at Chanyeol’s neck makes him want to lace his fingers into Baekhyun’s hair and pull him back to leave a scorching kiss on the idol’s lips, and by the way Baekhyun refuses to let up, Chanyeol assumes that’s what Baekhyun wants him to do.  


But, it’s seven in the morning and they’re squished together in a closet, hiding from dozens of staff, to get an ounce of time together before Baekhyun has to go back out on set to finish up his music video shoot. His _solo_ music video shoot. “You do know we have to get out of here soon right?” Chanyeol points out.  


With a long sigh and head still leaning against Chanyeol’s chest, Baekhyun wraps his arms around the taller. It’s warm in the room despite the constant draft of wind threatening to pick up.  


“I’m gonna skip the dinner tonight. That way we can have time to ourselves,” Baekhyun says suddenly.  


“You can’t just skip a company dinner Baek.”  


Baekhyun pulls back and looks up at Chanyeol in pretend shock. “Says who?”  


Chanyeol smiles down at the idol and leans in to press a peck to his pouty lips. “Says proper etiquette,” Chanyeol laughs.  


“Screw proper etiquette. We haven’t had a minute to ourselves in the past two months.”  


Chanyeol proudly smiles down at Baekhyun even though he knows the smaller can’t see. He had seen how hard Baekhyun was working to perfect his album. Many visits to the recording studio and many nights of take out food all come flooding into Chanyeol’s mind at once. But in the haste of all the hard work Chanyeol had seen Baekhyun put in, he isn’t worried at all. He knows the fans will love Baekhyun no matter what he decides to put out. The fans love Baekhyun, people love Baekhyun, _he_ loves Baekhyun, and that’s honestly all Chanyeol could ask for.  


Of course, some ego-driven part of him wants to tell Baekhyun that he doesn’t have to go to the company dinner tonight. Chanyeol wants to tell him to ditch it and instead spend the night watching old dramas while drowning in ramen broth. That sounds perfect in Chanyeol’s book, but it would be rude to sit out on a dinner that’s literally happening because of Baekhyun, no matter how badly Chanyeol just wants to go home with his boyfriend.  


“And besides,” Baekhyun continues. “We’ve been withholding sex from each other for too long and it’s starting to take a toll on my health.”  
Chanyeol chokes on his own spit. He doesn’t need this at seven in the morning, especially not when morning wood hour hasn’t passed yet. “Baek- you can’t just say stuff like that,” Chanyeol splutters.  


Baekhyun steps closer to Chanyeol again, taking up what little space they had between them. “Why? Does it turn you on?” Baekhyun stands on his toes to nose along Chanyeol’s jaw, which he’s learned instantly puts Chanyeol in the “mood”, and kisses down Chanyeol’s neck to get his point across.  


This isn’t happening right now. It’s so hot in the room despite the fact that its early morning and the air hasn’t even started to become sticky yet. Chanyeol’s suffocating in his shirt and he’s pretty sure his neck is a pretty shade of bright red when Baekhyun latches on to the side of it, sucking and licking his way to Chanyeol’s major artery.  


“N-nope. Nope. You need to get on set Baek,” Chanyeol stammers. He pushes at Baekhyun’s shoulders, but the idol is quick to keep his feet, and mouth, planted firmly on Chanyeol.  


After a few not-so-gentle shoves, finally, Baekhyun pulls away with a smirk, and Chanyeol breaths out in relief. Chanyeol thinks Baekhyun’s gotten the message, but this is Baekhyun, and he never backs down without a fight. Soon, the idol has his lips planted once again on Chanyeol’s neck, only this time, it’s on the other side, and the sucking and nipping have become more aggressive - to the point where it’s starting to hurt - and Chanyeol lets out a tiny whimper signaling pain, pleasure, he’s not really sure, but it spurs Baekhyun on, and Chanyeol can feel the way Baekhyun throws his arms behind his neck and holds on for dear life as he sucks his Adam's apple in the middle of his throat. Chanyeol throws his head and his eyes roll back into what he knows is pleasure - hands perfectly situated on the small of Baekhyun’s back, bordering on crossing over into dangerous territory that is Baekhyun’s ass.  


“Yeol,” Baekhyun pants out against Chanyeol’s neck. He can hear the desperation dripping from Baekhyun’s lips. This is the most action they’ve gotten in the span of two months, but Baekhyun still has a job to do, and if they get caught, it’s over for the both of them, well, mostly Chanyeol.  


It’s when Baekhyun untangles his arms from behind Chanyeol’s neck to skim their way down to plunge underneath his shirt, that this is getting to be too much. Chanyeol whips his head back up and comes back to reality.  


“Whoa, easy there tiger.” Chanyeol grabs Baekhyun’s wrists to stop the wandering hands from exploring any further.  


“I’m skipping that dinner. You can’t stop me.”  


“Did we not just talk about how that’s a jerk move to pull?”  


“It’s been _months_ Chanyeol.” Months since what? Sex? Slaving in the studio? “I’m sure they can live without me for an evening.”  


This isn’t good. Though he does love to watch Baekhyun squirm, he knows that once Baekhyun puts his mind to something, there’s no going back, especially if it’s sex driven.  


“Well, I kind of want to go,” Chanyeol lies.  


“You what?”  


“I want to go.”  


Another long sigh leaves Baekhyun’s mouth and Chanyeol can hear the disappointment riddled through it. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” Baekhyun asks.  
He’s been caught, but he didn’t really do anything to hide it either. “You have to go Baek.”  


“Fine. But we’re leaving early,” Baekhyun states matter-of-factly.  


-  


In the waiting room is where everything goes to shit. In the fifth hour of being put on standby, an unlikely, or likely, depends on who’s asking, visitor shows up on set.  


“Taewoo, what are you doing here?” Chanyeol asks, standing to greet his old friend.  


“I just wanted to stop by to see how everything was going.”  


“It’s going great. Baekhyun is going to be so excited when he sees you’re here.”  


The thought of all three of them being in the same room together excites Chanyeol. Just like the old days where the three of them were practically attached at the hip is suddenly so clear in Chanyeol’s brain. Things are different now, of course, but their friendship still remains the same, and fortunately, they’re the same people they were two years ago laughing their heads off over nothing and burning their tongues on hot ox-tail soup.  


“Where’s Baekhyun?” Taewoo asks.  


“He’s trying on outfits with his stylist right now. He should be done soon.”  


After watching countless dance videos on the couch with Taewoo, Baekhyun walks into the room styled and ready to go on set. He’s been put on standby to allow time for hair and makeup, but with that out of the way, it’s mostly just free time until the set director calls. He locks eyes with Baekhyun for a split second, and from the look on his face, Chanyeol can tell he isn’t all that fond of Taewoo’s presence.  


“Taewoo, long time no see,” Baekhyun greets.  


It’s fake, and Chanyeol can tell, but he’s not about to say anything, for the awkward tension, is very tangible.  


“I just came by to say hi,” Taewoo smiles.  


“Oh, that’s so nice of you,” Baekhyun says. He takes a seat right next to Chanyeol, and immediately, it’s too close. The hand on his thigh is a nice surprise, but when Baekhyun squeezes just enough to induce pain, Chanyeol flinches. It’s the pain of a stubbed toe where it’s sharp and quick, but lasts longer than it has to.  


“Chanyeol and I tried that tofu place you recommended. It was good wasn’t it?” Baekhyun randomly asks, placing one hand on Chanyeol’s chest while the other finds its way down to clasp a sweaty hand. Their proximity is so close that Chanyeol can feel the heat radiating off the other, and if their interlaced fingers placed strategically on Chanyeol’s thigh isn’t a big enough indication, Chanyeol would guess that Baekhyun is jealous.  


He feels a piercing gaze that pokes holes at his sides and damages his soul. Chanyeol doesn’t answer, just nods, and goddammit, he blew it. He looked too awkward, and now the look on Taewoo’s face is uncomfortable while the look on Baekhyun’s remains passively innocent.  


“I’m gonna go grab something from the food table. Want anything?” Taewoo offers.  


Yes, he wants something, tteokbokki in particular. He’s been eyeing it since this morning, and he’d meant to get some while Baekhyun was with his stylist, but when Taewoo walked in, he had completely forgotten about it.  


“No thank you. We already ate,” Baekhyun chimes in, stroking Chanyeol’s arm with his free hand. Chanyeol turns to Baekhyun in mild shock and watches as the look on his face turns from devilishly charming to platonically unamused as Taewoo turns to leave for the food.  


“Uh, Baek?” Chanyeol lets go of their interlocked hands.  


“Yeah?”  


“You good?”  


“Yeah, I’m fine.” Baekhyun takes out his phone and scrolls through what little feed he has on his Instagram, acting like the show he put on seconds ago didn’t happen.  


“Wanna explain what that was?”  


“Nothing. I’m just reminding him where he belongs.” Baekhyun still doesn’t look up from his phone. Psychopathic tendencies aside, Chanyeol definitely thinks something’s not quite right. It also amuses Chanyeol that Baekhyun still thinks there’s something to be jealous about when it comes to Taewoo.  


“And where would that be?”  


“Hmm, I’d say...arms length apart?”  


Part of Baekhyun’s jealousy could be Chanyeol’s fault. He never got around to telling Baekhyun about that night in Hongdae, and how he and Taewoo got drunk off of cheap soju while simultaneously drowning themselves in their feelings. Well, he technically did tell Baekhyun, the short and sweet version, which he’s regretting right now, but it was a turning point in Chanyeol’s relationship with both Baekhyun and Taewoo. Maybe he should tell him that.  


“You do know he’s the one who talked me into confessing, right?”  


“I know he’s one of our closest friends, but you should have seen how close you two were sitting when I walked in. Not pretty.”  


On second thought, he’s not going to tell Baekhyun about that night. But the defining memory of him suffocating over meat fumes got him to realize that what he felt was love runs a chill down his spine all the way down to his toes. That night was deep. Chanyeol shakes his head at the cheesy thought just as Taewoo walks in with a plate full of food and a side of steaming tteokbokki. Of course, Baekhyun is back at his side once again, abandoning his once adored phone, to stake a claim everyone in the entire room already knows about.  


“I got a little extra in case you wanted some,” Taewoo says, extending the food out to Chanyeol. “The tteokbokki looks amazing.”  


It does look amazing. Chanyeol’s mouth is watering just from the smell of it. But with Baekhyun’s death grip on his dominant arm, he’s not confident enough to reach out for tteokbokki with his left hand. He has no choice, he has to admit defeat and accept the fact that he’s not getting any tteokbokki right now. But the way the sauce engulfs the chewy rice cakes has Chanyeol’s stomach rumbling with want and the cylinder fish cakes Chanyeol loves so much are staring him right in the face, and its enough for Chanyeol to want to reach in with his hands and have a taste. This is torture, and he’s not sure how much longer he can take it.  


“You want some?” Taewoo asks.  


Chanyeol genuinely hopes Taewoo is asking because he’s nice and not because he’s caught Chanyeol eyeing his tteokbokki for the past five minutes. Either way, he’s glad Taewoo loves to share and is about to reach out to _finally_ get a taste of the glutinous goodness when a sharp, Baekhyun-esque voice answers for him. “Chanyeol doesn’t like tteokbokki,” Baekhyun states, with his head now resting nonchalantly on Chanyeol’s shoulder while a possessive hand magically makes its way onto Chanyeol’s thigh once again. “He can’t handle the spice.”  


Ok, this is overkill, and by now, it’s obvious Taewoo suspects somethings going on by the way his eyebrows cocked in confusion at the excessive skinship that, quite frankly, shouldn’t be allowed in the workplace. A lot is going through Chanyeol’s mind at the moment; first of all, that’s a weak excuse because what Korean doesn’t like tteokbokki, and second, Taewoo is smart enough to figure out that Baekhyun’s constant touching and passive-aggressive responses are all signs pointing to jealous rage.  


This is all his fault. He created this mess by not telling Baekhyun what all happened that night in Hongdae, but even if he did tell Baekhyun nothing would have changed.  
He knows it the minute Baekhyun tries to feed him a piece of fruit, but instead of giving it to him on a fork like a normal human being, he sticks one end in his mouth and leans forward for Chanyeol to take. It’s a side to Baekhyun he’s never seen before, and if he had just told Baekhyun about that night with Taewoo, then none of this theatrical crap would be going on. If he had just gone into detail about that night and told him that it was to emotionally dump his feelings for him onto Taewoo, none of this would be happening right now.  


“Baekhyun,” a member of the staff calls. “You’re needed on set.”  


Panic rises on Baekhyun’s face and Chanyeol can see the internal dilemma floating around on the singer’s face. Chanyeol firmly braces himself for what’s to come and prepares himself to stand his ground and not move from the sofa he’s grown so accustomed to enjoying. But the puppy dog eyes and extended lower lip starting to form on Baekhyun’s face lets Chanyeol know what he’s up to even before it starts.  


“Won’t you come and watch me on set? I want to make sure I look ok.” Chanyeol almost gives in when he feels soft circles being drawn on the back of his hand. It’s slowly lulling Chanyeol into saying yes, but when he spots Taewoo from the corner of his eye, he realizes that this isn’t some competition on who can get his attention. They’re grown men who have nothing to fear about each other, they’re friends, best friends, and if Baekhyun can’t see that, then he’ll show him by staying behind to hang out with Taewoo.  


“Baekhyun,” a voice calls again, but this time more annoyed. “The director’s waiting for you.”  


Urgency is riddled through Baekhyun’s eyes, but Chanyeol isn’t going to budge. That same urgency is soon swapped out for anger when Chanyeol doesn’t get up from the sofa. Baekhyun throws Chanyeol’s hand to the side and storms off to follow the staff on set. He’ll deal with that later, but for right now, Chanyeol suspects it’s what Baekhyun needs. Some separation time never killed anyone, right?  


-  


Useless. All that nonsense going around Chanyeol’s head about separation had all been in vain because the moment the company dinner officially kicks off at Wang Cho, ‘separation’ doesn’t seem to be a word in Baekhyun’s vocabulary. It starts off in small doses, with Baekhyun hanging off the side of Chanyeol’s arm while he finesses his way around a pair of tongs. It doesn’t really bother him that much; especially when he gets to see how happy Baekhyun’s face is whenever he adds more meat to his plate. The next time something happens is when Chanyeol officially wants to call it quits. It started off innocent, with Baekhyun insisting he make a wrap for his “growing boyfriend”. Two chunks of meat placed nicely atop a crisp piece of lettuce and topped with raw garlic and spicy chili paste assaults Chanyeol’s taste buds the minute it lands in his mouth. He’s practically breaking his jaw everytime he tries to chew. Also, not to mention the fact that other staff members are watching this whole scene go down because it’s just “too cute”.  


“Finish that and let’s get out of here,” Baekhyun whispers in Chanyeol’s ear.  


Innocent right? Hell no. The minute Chanyeol is able to fully form sentences after downing that ginormous wrap, Baekhyun slides his hands along his inner thigh, but it doesn’t stop. Chanyeol’s sweating at this point now, and it’s not because of the lack of A/C or the two glasses of beer he had with his meat.  


“You ready to leave?” Chanyeol can’t register words right now because, under the table, a whole other situation is happening. A highly dangerous and inappropriate situation. It’s funny, how just a few hours ago Baekhyun was a desperate mess in a storage closet, but now, he’s a desperate mess out in public by the way his hands rub at Chanyeol’s balls to elicit some kind of gross fantasy that involves letting his entire company know that Chanyeol popped a hard one during a company dinner. That would be a sight to see, if it were anyone but Chanyeol.  


Once inside Baekhyun’s car, Chanyeol is anything but pliant. Anger boils in his chest as he looks over to see Baekhyun with a slight smirk on his face, acting like what he did back there was nothing. It’s embarrassing to think that they both had to scurry out of the restaurant in order to hide the fact that Chanyeol’s dick was standing at half mass inside his tight skinny jeans. No one really suspected anything, thank God, but the fact that Baekhyun found the whole situation to be amusing, makes Chanyeol even angrier.  


“Ok, what the _fuck_ was that?”  


“I was just having a little fun. Calm down.” Baekhyun starts the engine.  


“I’m not gonna “calm” down. I looked like a fool back there because you’ve been in a jealous rage the entire day. What’s wrong?”  


The tightening of Baekhyun’s hand on the leather steering wheel is loud compared to the soft whirring the engine. “I guess I just got a little insecure, that’s all.”  


“Insecure about what?” Baekhyun doesn’t reply, and Chanyeol hates it when he gets all silent like that, especially in the middle of serious conversations. “Baek, what are you insecure about?”  


“I’ve been really busy lately. We don’t get to spend enough time together and I just- I felt like you were getting tired of it.”  


Chanyeol can’t believe what he’s hearing right. Tired of Baekhyun? The same guy he’s been fighting for for the past six months thinks he’s tired of him?  
Baekhyun turns to look at Chanyeol, eyes serious and pleading. Chanyeol can’t help but laugh. “Why are you laughing?” Baekhyun whines.  


“Do you really think I would get tired of you?”  


“I don’t know. Would you?”  


Chanyeol answers that question by reaching over to grab Baekhyun’s hand. He rests their hands on the middle console. Six months ago, Chanyeol never would have imagined that he would get to hold Baekhyun’s hand so freely like this. Heck, six months ago he was ready to give up on Baekhyun and move on. He’s glad he didn’t or else he’d be sitting alone in his dingy apartment wondering ‘what if’. It’s been a whirlwind of emotions, but Chanyeol wouldn’t change anything because in the midst of a dark day, there’s always going to be light at the end of the tunnel, and for Chanyeol, Baekhyun is the light.  


-  


“ _Ah_ \- Chanyeol.” There’s a mix between elation and satisfaction when Baekhyun’s voice gets impossibly high when Chanyeol kisses the insides of the singer’s thighs. There’s also a mix between anticipation and guilt whenever Chanyeol brushes his lips along the column of Baekhyun’s neck, causing the singer to arch his back off the mattress in pure ecstasy, no longer able to handle the teasing. It’s a rush of feelings, all at once, in quick succession, and Chanyeol wonders if it’s normal to have such a range of emotions during such an intimate act.  


“Tell me what you want Baek.” There’s a hint of desperation in Chanyeol’s voice. “I’ll do it. Just tell me.”  


His hands are suddenly frozen in place on Baekhyun’s hips, not knowing where to go next. They’ve shared this bed a countless number of times, yet everytime they meet in this sweet reunion, it feels like the first.  


“Touch me Chanyeol. I want to feel you,” Baekhyun lets out. The fingers webbed through Chanyeol’s hair tighten, and the wet trail Chanyeol is leaving behind while sliding his lips down Baekhyun’s chest is a friendly reminder that there isn’t a part of Baekhyun’s body Chanyeol hasn’t explored. From the dip of his lower back to the defined lines of his toned stomach, Chanyeol loses himself in kissing along every inch of Baekhyun’s body, worshipping it like it deserves.  


It’s not long until Chanyeol hears labored breathing huffing out of Baekhyun’s mouth as he clings to the prospect of reaching the end of his climax. “Chanyeol _please_.”  


It’s the only two words Chanyeol really needs to hear to get started. He grabs for the condom that was thrown on the side of the bed amidst their hasty shuffle. As he proceeds to wrap himself up, shyness creeps up on his face when he sees Baekhyun watching him, admiration written all over his face. Perhaps it’s the act of wrapping himself in a condom that intensifies the feeling, or maybe it’s what the act represents that has Chanyeol’s stomach filling up with butterflies as his boyfriend watches on in pure satisfaction.  


With his forearms placed gently on either side of Baekhyun’s head, Chanyeol holds his breath as he feels himself sliding into familiar territory. It’s rough at first because Baekhyun is impossibly tight. Chanyeol watches as Baekhyun throws his head back against the pillow, hair splaying in every direction. The air around them is warm as loud breaths mix with one another as Chanyeol’s hips surge forward, reaching deeper and deeper inside of Baekhyun.  


Two months have passed since anything remotely similar to sex appeared on both their agendas and Chanyeol isn’t sure how long he’s able to last with the way Baekhyun angles his hips perfectly to meet Chanyeol’s aggressive thrusts. Sounds of pleasure echo throughout the room and the slapping of skin against skin time perfectly with the clapping of the headboard against the wall. The silk sheet wrapped loosely around their bodies is forgotten when Baekhyun wraps his legs around Chanyeol’s waist to feel more of what Chanyeol has to offer.  


“This beats blowjobs in the studio doesn’t it?” Chanyeol asks, trying to keep the strain out of his voice.  


Baekhyun only moans louder when Chanyeol speeds up his thrusts, already on the brink of finishing. “Anything,” Baekhyun chokes out. “Anything beats blowjobs in the studio.”  


What Chanyeol tried to hold back is now audible in Baekhyun’s voice. Beads of sweat start of form on the tops of Chanyeol’s brows from how hard he’s trying to find release, and the hot mouth latched onto the side of his neck isn’t helping either because it only fuels the tingle at the bottom of his stomach even more, and the pressure from his impending orgasm is about to combust from all the stimulation it’s not used to getting.  


“Are you close?”  


“Just- just a little bit more.” Chanyeol sweeps the hair sticking on Baekhyun’s face to the side and plants a wet kiss on his forehead. Both of Chanyeol’s palms are face down on the pillow to get more leverage, and when that isn’t enough, he straightens out and lifts one of Baekhyun’s legs to place over his shoulder. “Harder.” He hears Baekhyun moan out. The sound of the headboard is now so loud, Chanyeol’s afraid it might leave a dent on the wall.  


Chanyeol doesn’t know how much harder he can go when a sharp shot of pleasure races down his spine to land intensely in the pit of his stomach. He’s so close he can almost taste his orgasm, and he’s so desperate for it, he reaches down between them and grabs Baekhyun’s cock to speed up the process. He’s so close, he can feel it, and he knows Baekhyun is close too by the way his moans turn into screams and his head thrashes from side to side on the pillow.  


Hot liquid fills the condom as pearls of white splatter across Baekhyun’s chest. If it were any other time, the excessive amount of come would be a hassle for Chanyeol to clean up, but as Baekhyun lays there, panting like he just ran a marathon, with sweat-stained hair sticking to his face and cheeks flushed, Chanyeol’s first instinct is to lean down and lick along the dips of his chest to rid of the white substance. This makes Baekhyun whimper even louder while simultaneously grabbing for Chanyeol’s head to continue.  


Once Chanyeol has thoroughly licked clean every drop from Baekhyun’s chest, he slumps down on the bed to catch his breath. He stares at the white ceiling and basks at the thought of being in this moment. The post-coital bliss of just being in each other’s presence has got to be the best part about the sex.  


It’s been a long day, and both of them don’t even bother to clean themselves up. All Chanyeol does is tie his used condom and tosses it in the trashcan, then he makes his way back to bed to slip under the covers, behind Baekhyun, to sleep off whatever high he needs to come down from. And right here, with Baekhyun in his arms, is where he’ll wake up tomorrow morning, at the sunrise, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've written the ending to this story around ten times, and I'm still not satisfied with it.  
> I struggled so hard with the ending to this story, and I'm so sorry if this wasn't the ending you were expecting. I tried my best to close up any loose ends that were lingering throughout the story.  
> But I just want to say thank you SO SO much for following and loving this story. All the support in the comments are truly amazing and I can't thank you enough for spending your precious time to read my story.  
> A lot of you guys have also asked me about a possible sequel to this story, and I've thought a lot about it, but I think this story has dragged on for too long and needs to come to an end lol.  
> This story is my baby and it's sad to see it end, but I'm working on another story called [Honey](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19476643/chapters/46361620) if you want to check it out, and I joined a few fic fests so look out for me when the reveals are posted!  
> Again, thank you guys SO much and I'll see you in my next stories!  
> -  
> Come talk to me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bleuhouse1)! Lets be mutuals! Or if you're shy come talk to me on [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/bleuhouse1)!


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